The Opposite of Hate
by Alicia.Antioch
Summary: People don't understand how hard it is to maintain a facade of feelings that you believed to be true until yeaterday. Loving the one person you hated until yesterday has to be the hardest thing to do, since the chance of them loving you back is slim.
1. Chapter 1: Rose

Chapter 1

Rose

September came too slow once again. As I walked to the platform with my parents and brother, I felt like a first year, filled with awe and excitement. Although the first years wouldn't be filled with a sense of homecoming.

"Rosie did you remember your-"

"My new parchment?"

"Hmm, yes. Alright, how about your-"

"Dress robes? At the very top of the trunk so they don't wrinkle."

My mum was a planner. She couldn't accomplish anything without planning it a week in advance. My dad was the opposite way. He did not plan ahead. He would just throw himself together forty-five minutes before leaving. Yet somehow they fit perfectly. I looked at them and saw all of the cliches about falling for your best friend and opposites attract and such, but looking again, everything went away.

"Rose, did you hear me?"

"Hmm? Sorry, no."

"Darling you must pay closer attention. I asked..." I drifted off again as my mother rambled on about some unimportant thing. I had mastered the art of nodding when needed. I saw my dad and my younger brother, Hugo load our trunks on to the train. I cut my mum off then.

"Mum, I know you think that I can't load a trunk without forgetting something, but it's 10:55, and I was supposed to meet Michael at 10:50." She nodded knowing I was right.

"Of course, of course. I'll see you at Christmas, darling. I love you. Write me weekly!" I smiled, nodded, knowing I would have a hard time accomplishing that. I kissed my dad on the cheek and ran down the platform, running into various family members along the way, waving and smiling as I looked for Michael.

I barely saw him through the smoke-like steam of the engine. He hadn't seen me when I ran and jumped on his back, wrapping my arms and legs around him. He laughed and spun me around. He carefully moved me to his front and looked at me with sparkling eyes.

"Well hello." He drawled out in his darling American accent. He and his family moved to England when he was 10, and he has fought against conforming to the norm, which is an English accent.

"Hi. how are you?"

"Just wonderful. And you?"

"Better now." He smiled and set me down. He took my hand in his and pulled me onto the train. We found our favorite compartment empty and ran inside. As soon as we were sitting down, he smiled at me and said, "Soooooo details, details. Summer? Good? Bad? Mediocre? Gawd I just hate it when summers are mediocre! It's like pick one! Ohmigawd! Did I tell you what Andrew said when we were in the Alps? Oh, its just so adorable! And-"

He rambled on as the train pulled out of the station. I laughed at his happy attitude. Michael and I had been friends since first year, when we were the last to first years to be sorted. (My name being Weasley and his being Zyler) Standing there as pitiful little first years, we formed a bond. We were then sorted into Gryffindor, and our friendship began. We spent every minute together and did everything together. We spent every summer together and most people assumed that we had a thing between the two of us. What those rumor starters didn't know was that Michael was, ahem, inclined to, men. But it was generally known that if you were... homosexual then you were shunned at school. Not that anyone would vocalize it outloud but it didn't need to be said. So he didn't tell anyone, save for me and Lotte of course. He was my best friend, he had said, of course I'm telling you.

That was two years ago, now going into our sixth year, he had met someone stunning, absolutely stunning. His words. His master plan now was to set me up with someone.

"I don't need to be set up with anyone!" I said back to him. I was leaning back against him as he played with my hair. To anyone looking in on the compartment, we would have looked like a couple. He, normally, liked to keep it that way. In the past, the guys that I have dated have been less than perfect. Guys like Aaron Tomlinson, who single handedly cheated on me with every girl in his house. Then there was Sean Divis, who was so boring that it took six months for him to kiss me, closemouthed, for a second. We broke up a day later. Everyone else was just not right. My Aunt Ginny always says to date for love, and not to look for forever because when you find the right love, forever will follow. So whenever I stopped feeling the spark I thought was there, I dumped the boy. I can't recall a time when I had been dumped, except by Eric Mulligan in second year, but when you're twelve it doesn't matter as much as when you're fifteen.

"Oh really? You don't?" I nodded defiantly. "When was the last time you kissed someone?" I shut my mouth quickly.

"Last month."

"Drunken escapades with a muggle boy do not count."

"Why not? And I was not drunk, he was."

"Because they don't."

"That is not a real reason."

"Sure it is, anyways, since my point is proven, we are getting you a-"

"A boyfriend? Thank god, she needs to get laid." I looked up and saw my best girlfriend at Hogwarts standing in the doorway.

"Charlotte!" She smiled as I stood up and gave her a hug. "How are you darling?" I laughed at her and helped her pull her trunk in to the compartment.

"Well I'm good now that I'm on my way to school." We all laughed as she made a disgusted face at her statement.

"Summer that bad, Lotte?"

She shrugged and shook her head. "Right now is not about me. It is about you finding a boyfriend this year. A real one, that isn't a total ass."

I shook my head at her brashness. "Actually," I stretched and stood up, "it's time for me to head off to the prefects compartment for our meeting. I'll see you both later." I grabbed my wand and my badge from my small messenger bag and left the compartment. I walked along the train to the prefects compartment.

Rounding the corner I was bumped into and knocked over by a familiar figure.

"Ouch! God James!" My cousin James, was splayed next to me on the ground. "What the hell was that?"

"Sorry Rosie, didn't see you there." He grinned and stood, holding out his hand.

I took it and he pulled me off of the ground. "Obviously. Shouldn't you already be in the compartment? You are Head Boy." He shrugged.

"Yes, but I got caught up." He turned away, but I saw his ears turn red, a tell-tale sign he was up to something.

"Where were you Jamie?" He turned around and scowled at me.

"That is not my name."

"Rosie isn't mine." He groaned at me and turned to open the compartment door. I sauntered by and said, "This isn't over."

I walked into the familiar compartment and took a seat next to my fellow sixth year prefect, Eric Anderson. He smiled at me and I grinned back. We had meshed really well together last year on patrols.

"Okay, okay settle down everyone." James called to the mostly silent compartment. Everyone in the room turned to look at him and Alice Longbottom, who was Head Girl. When James walked into the room, her happy smile disappeared. She raised one eyebrow at James and he scurried over to her with his tail between his legs. Alice always knew how to make James behave, best friends seemed capable of that no matter what.

"Alright everyone here? Yes, yes? Okay good." Alice chirped out. Her voice sounded like an authoritative bird. "Now there are going to be some changes to the way things work this year." She nodded at James, he waved his wand lazily from his chair beside her and paper flew toward us. I grabbed it out of the air without looking at it. James barked out a laugh at me and Alice shot another menacing look. I looked down at my paper as she looked at me.

"Please note that you will be rotating between year and house for patrolling schedules. The first week the seventh and fifth years will be together so that the seventh years can teach you lot the ropes. Sixth years I hope you all can fend for yourself." A light chuckle rustled the room. Alice smiled and tucked a piece of auburn hair behind her ear. You'd think she was related to my family, seeing as how she has a nasty temper, is a Gryffindor and has red hair. Luckily she wasn't or else the wedding Lily and I were secretly planning for her and James would be totally disgusting.

See the Potter curse must live on. The rules to the curse state that any Potter male will find their true love in a red head, sometime during their school years. The sub-categories state that she must be friends with your best friend, ( Added for James Sr. and applied for Uncle Harry), and/or your best friends little sister (added for Uncle Harry), good at Quidditch (added for James Sr. and applied to Uncle Harry) and breathtakingly gorgeous (which applies to both previous Potter males). Now Alice fits all of these criteria, plus we all love her desperately. James has always had a soft spot for her, and vice versa.

Lily and I are hoping for a spring wedding, with wild flower bouquets.

Reading over my schedule, I saw that I had late night patrols every night, but no other duties. I grinned, James must have made up the schedule. He knew what a night owl I was. I quickly skimmed the names for Sunday through Tuesday. I was with Eric every night except Mondays, when I was with a friend for Ravenclaw. Wednesday through Fridays I was with... no. Not possible, James must not have made these, he would never do this to me.

Looking across the room at him, I saw his smile turn into his trademark smirk and he winked at me and then blew a kiss.

That bastard did make up these. And he had given me the worst partner he could.

Scorpius Malfoy.


	2. Chapter 2: Scorpius

Chapter 2

_Scorpius_

Arriving at the train that day had been like every other year since the first. My mother, father and I would show up at 10:30 precisely, my father and I would load my trunk and walk back to meet my mother. The tears would be pooling in her eyes and as soon as I walked back to her, they would pour out onto her face. She would clutch me in her arms and tell me, through her tears, what a handsome, wonderful boy I was. She would remind me to study every chance I got and to keep myself out of trouble. She would then whisper into my ear that she loved me and would see me at Christmas. My father would shake my hand, then something would change in his eyes, and he would pull me in for a quick, albeit silent hug. He would let me go, smirk at me, then shove me towards the train, telling me to party as much as I could and get into as much trouble as I wanted. My mother would hit him across his upper arm, then wrap her hand into his, smirking, as he feigned pain. I would back up at least five steps, telling them that I loved them and that I would see them at Christmas. Then I would turn around and hop onto the train, and would be off to find my friends.

Over the years, it had changed slightly. Somewhere between fourth year and now, I had grown from being a five foot five, scrawny, lanky little kid, to a six foot three, muscled teenager. So now, I could carry my own trunk without my father's help. My mother had to stand on her tiptoes to reach her arms around her neck, and to whisper in my ear she had to pull my head down.

Now being on the train, in my favorite compartment, I waited for my best friends. They quickly tumbled in, bringing in all of the noise that the compartment door had shut out. I watched silently as they lost their footing and fell to the floor, laughing. Adelle Madison and Albus Potter's laughing continued as they tried to untangle their limbs and stand. When they were standing, they turned to me and I smirked the Malfoy smirk at them. They rolled their eyes, shoved each other in opposite directions, and sat down across from me.

The first time I got on this train, I had been friendless and scared. However, fate had sent me solace in the form of Albus Potter. He had come into the compartment, slammed the door and turned around. He quickly introduced himself and told me that his family was driving him nuts. I didn't know who he was when he introduced himself but I quickly caught on when we arrived at school and were both sorted into Slytherin. When the hat was placed on my head, he speculated where to put me. He said he saw many attributes of every house within me, but since I was a Malfoy, he threw me into Slytherin. I didn't have a problem with that; it was what was expected of me. But when Albus was sorted into Slytherin six names behind me, all of his family stood and screamed at the sorting hat. Every one of his cousins and his brother. He walked over to me and rolled his eyes. He stood up on the bench and yelled at them to 'shut their bloody traps, and to turn off their stupid Weasley/Potter tempers.' They all turned to look at him, shocked. He rolled his eyes again and sat down. They all slowly sat back down at their places at the Gryffindor table.

Our friendship with Elle had come later when we had a Potions project that required three people per group. We were all horribly rotten at Potion and had received a 'T' on the assignment, but we had gained a friend and the three of us became inseparable.

Now well on our way to school, I looked at my watch, I realized that I needed to head to the prefects meeting. I nodded at Al and Elle, who were in the middle of an intense game of Exploding Snap, I'm not even sure if they know I left.

I made it to the compartment on time but not everyone was there so I sat and waited calmly. Even when Alice Longbottom had started the meeting, I sat not listening. I grabbed the parchment out of the air and didn't even look at it. When I noticed almost everyone else had left the compartment, I stood and stretched, fully intent on leaving. But heaven or hell decided to stop me in the form of Rose Weasley.

"Look Malfoy", she started. I rolled my eyes. After all these years, nothing had changed. "I know that it says we're supposed to run our patrols together-"

"Wait, what? Patrols? Since when do we run patrols together?"

She scoffed at me and rolled her eyes. Ah, she is related to Al. "Did you pay attention in the meeting? Alice mixed it up this year and decided to put us on patrols with different houses. And that stupid, bloody wanker that I call a cousin, James, decided to put us on patrols together almost every night."

Oh. Now that would be a problem. You see Rose and I had never gotten along. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that we were always neck in neck for first in our year. Maybe it was that she was so smart that she drove me absolutely insane in class, consistently answering questions quickly. Maybe it was the fact that she was Ron and Hermione Weasley's daughter and she didn't even seem to care. Maybe it was the fact that I had "corrupted her favorite cousin with a Slytherin mind set". More recently, it was probably the fact that her hair had stopped being a mess of chestnut frizz, and turned into a smooth, sleek, chestnut but turned so red in the sun it was almost purple. Or maybe it was the way her school uniform had stopped hanging and had started hugging her petite frame. Or the way her pale, freckled complexion had turned into smooth porcelain with a dusting of freckles across her face. Or the way her pale blues eyes had become a deep, ocean blue, so close to being teal it was ridiculous. Or the fact that almost everything she did now was a huge distraction, from walking, to talking to laughing.

But more than any of those things, it was the fact that I had been desperately in love with her since the moment I first saw her and she completely hated me.

Rose was a force to be reckoned with when she was angry, and I watched as the hot coals in her eyes burst into flames as she simmered in the fact that I had not responded. I slowly smirked.

"I'm not sure what the problem is, Weasley. We've run patrols together before and managed to not maim or kill each other, or destroy the castle in any way. I think we'll be fine."

I watched the fire in her eyes transform from a campfire to a bonfire through my sentence. Her cheeks were flushed and she was almost trembling she was so angry.

"Of course it isn't a problem, Malfoy. I just thought I'd remind you of those times and tell you that these patrols will happen exactly like those." She turned on her heel and walked out of the compartment. I let out one long, slow breath and closed my eyes. I was, am, and will forever be a stupid bloody tosser.

I always seemed to slip into "arrogant, stuck-up, smarmy guy Malfoy" when I spoke with her. Since we met, that fateful first day of classes, we had been casually cool with each other. Never exceptionally cruel but never friends. One day in fifth year, when her transformation from ugly gosling into a peacock- or some muggle analogy like that- had started to begin, I bumped into her when I tripped in one of the various trick stairs in the castle. She turned around smiling, and then her face dropped when she saw that it was me.

"Oh, it's you." She had sneered. I remember raising one eyebrow. She had never acted like that to me in all of our years.

"Yes…" I said slowly.

She rolled her eyes, made a small noise of disgust and walked away. I never thought to ask what her problem was, and I quickly wrote it off as a bad night. But when she started to antagonize me in class, or the corridors, or in the Great Hall, anywhere we were, I stopped trying to be the good guy and fought back. Our screaming matches are legendary. Some say that only Rose's own parents rival them.

So as I sat here now, contemplating where we went wrong and my lack of suave-ness when it comes to Rose. I couldn't see what it was that affected me so thoroughly about her. She was truly stunning. Absolutely gorgeous. But so were other girls at our school. There were many fifth, sixth and seventh year girls that could almost hold a candle to Rose, not quite but you understand. She was just special. I couldn't tell you why, and I don't know if I will be able to ever anyways.

I made my way back to the compartment that I had been sharing with Al and Elle. I opened the door and rolled my eyes. They were still playing Exploding Snap, probably even the same game. I stepped up onto the seat behind Al and moved my over to the window. I pulled out one of the muggle books that Al's aunt Hermione had given me this past summer and tried to read it, emphasis on the tried. It was so confusing, it was talking about telephones and football and muggle things that made no sense to someone like me who had never been exposed to that world.

After about fifteen minutes of trying to push through the stupid book, I tossed it onto the seat in front of me. I heard a loud explosion and two very exasperated groans. I turned to look at Al and Elle. They both had glares on their faces that could rival Rose- no. Stop thinking about her.

I raised an eyebrow at them trying not to laugh at them. Al just rolled his eyes, and picked up the cards, but Elle seemed ready for a fight. I couldn't hold it in and burst into laughter. She blew her fringe out of her face and then turned back to look at Al.

When we arrived at school, we couldn't find an empty carriage. None at all. When we had almost given up, debating on whether or not to walk to the castle. We heard a voice call out from behind u right as we started to walk.

"Al! What are you doing?" Dammit. We just had to run into him. Maybe it wasn't.

But of course it was.

James Potter.


	3. Chapter 3: James

Hey guys. I'm trying to get updates to be more frequent but my life is a hectic mess. My mom is very sick and requires a lot of care and help. I try to spend as much time writing that I can but with school, plays, my mom, housework, cooking, etc, I know that I take a long time. I was wondering if you would prefer short chapters and fast updates, or long chapters and long waits. It doesn't matter to me. This chapter is short but it will probably be about the length that short updates will be. Long updates will be anywhere from 8 to 15 pages depending on the chapter and the content. Up to you all.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but this isn't just a Scorpius/Rose story. It involves James/OC and Albus/OC. If you just wanted a Scorpius/Rose, then I would look for another story. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear.

Leave me a review!

Chapter 3

_James _

Arriving at school, Alice and I walked out onto the platform. Ah, Alice. She was a piece of work. My best friend and partner in crime. She always knew what was going on in my mind, and could stop me from doing something stupid before I even moved. Well, most of the time I was the one doing something stupid. But this summer, after my dad's birthday party… well we were both drunk and it wasn't my fault. Yeah we'll go with that. I had been caught off guard and it was her fault, her fault completely. Ok, yes, she's gorgeous and I would love to be with-

Woah. Inner ramblings are going too far. Alice is your best friend. Emphasis on the friend.

I walked out of the train letting her slide out behind me, still chattering about Head Duties. I had stopped listening about three hours ago but I had mastered the art of nodding and smiling. She turned around to look at me now.

"Have you heard anything that I've said in the past five minutes?" Her eyes were shooting daggers at me and I smirked at her.

"Yes." She raised one eyebrow. "You said, 'Have you heard anything-'" She didn't let me finish, as she slapped me across the chest and then turned to look at the Platform.

"Make sure all the first years make it off the train and to Hagrid. I'll meet you back here in fifteen minutes." She turned on her heel and stalked off down the Platform. I groaned internally as she walked away. She was angry and wanted me to know it. Damn.

I patrolled the train for fifteen minutes then met Alice like had requested. We walked to hop into the carriage that was saved for the Head Boy and Girl. It started to move down the path into the forest but something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye.

My little brother and his band of idiots were standing by the side of the road. I called out the window towards him and told them to jump into our carriage, seeing as how all the other carriages had left. They smiled meekly at Alice and me and then got in not speaking. I turned to look at Al.

He was the spitting image of our father. Tall and wiry, but muscular all the same, black, unruly hair and shockingly green, bespectacled eyes, he was my father in every physical way. But in personality, there was only my mother. While my father is, calm and collected until the very moment when he snapped, my mum would scream and yell at the very moment she felt tension in the air. She, and Al, are passionate, loud, overbearing and completely irrational when it comes to something that they love.

I however did not luck out in the combination of my parents. My hair was stick straight, and laid the same way every day, no matter what I did to it. I had my mother's perfect vision and chocolate brown eyes. My hair was black but it was to shimmery to really stay that way. In the summer, it always lightened to a brunette that I hated, it looked to similar to my Aunt Hermione's, which is pretty on a girl but on a guy… But Alice always tells me she likes it best…

Why does my mind always slip off into Alice land when I get distracted? It has become problem that I need to take care of. Alice would tear the mickey out of me if- damn. There I go again. Stop thinking about her. Stop James. Think of… Scorpius Malfoy.

He was sitting right in front of me trying to avoid my gaze. I always stared a little too strongly when I looked at him. I've never really liked him. Well maybe I did when he was a twitchy little first year and he didn't undress my sweet innocent Rosie with his eyes every chance he got. He even does it after a Quidditch match and when she looks, and I quote, like "the most God awful creature on the planet." Scorpius still managed to find her attractive, and trust me after a game in early spring when it's been raining, she looks awful. Or maybe it was the way that he looked at her when she walked away from him after a particularly nasty fight, somewhat relieved and always remorseful. Everyone knew that he was in love with my cousin.

Really though, I think the only people who don't know are Rose, my Uncle Ron and my dad, though dad might have been clued in. Though it's probably good that Rose and Ron don't know, because one would explode and the other would die of disgust, and they both could do either. But Alice says that Rose would be overjoyed since she is secretly in love with Scorpius, but I think Alice is off her rocker if she thinks that. Then again Alice- argh! This must stop!

Think about the lovebirds. Yes Rose and Scorpius. At least Scorpius knows that he loves Rose. She has no clue, and that does not help the betting pool we have going on for when they get together.

The ride to the castle was silent. Even though the house rivalries- mostly- died with Voldemort, it was always awkward when Gryffindors and Slytherins were together at school. At home it was fine and chill cause we aren't wearing our robes and colors, but at school… well let's just say that it is hard to talk to my brother during the week.

We walked up to the castle with just the noises of the Forbidden Forrest behind us. Crazy old Filch was ready to scan us with his out of date and faulty probe, but Alice just flashed her Head Girl badge at him and just walked through the gates. I shuffled the sixth years ahead of me and then followed suit. We all arrived in the Great Hall together and then split to go our separate ways, or to our selective tables. Alice and I maneuvered down to the end of the table where the first years would be joining us. Saving us seats were the two others who made up the rest of our brigade. The twins of the Weasley variety, more importantly the George and Angelina variety, Fred and Roxanne Weasley.

Fred, Anne, Alice and I had been best friends since we were born. When we arrived at Hogwarts, we just knew that we had to make our mark somehow. Therefore, we decided to become the next generation of Marauders. We had the Marauders Map, the Invisibility Cloak and animal nicknames to boot. My names sakes would be proud.

Alice and I slid in to our seats across from Fred and Anne. The quiet murmuring of the hall was silenced when Professor Longbottom, Alice's dad, opened the hall doors to reveal all of the little midgets. Alice shot me a glare and raised one eyebrow. I told you she could read my mind.

Professor brought the first years to the front of the hall and stood them in front of the stool and the ancient, crusty hat. The hat did its thing, singing a song about what the houses stood for and unity among them. Then Professor started the sorting and we gained about fifteen new Gryffindors. The Slytherins only got five. Ha.

As the feast wore on, I noticed that Anne was not participating in our usual planning of the pranks meeting. I nudged her foot beneath the table when Fred and Alice were arguing over a blueprint of Fred's creation. Anne looked up at me with sad eyes.

"What's wrong, Slinkskin?" She shook her head at me and I raised eyebrow, a trick I learned from Alice.

"Nothing, Sharptoed." I raised the other eyebrow. "Really, nothing. I'm fine."

She looked back down at her food and I bumped Alice with my shoulder. She looked up from her plotting and I turned my head towards Anne. She followed with her eyes and then looked back to me, her sapphire eyes went from sparkling to dark. Her eyebrows constricted and she looked like a concerned mother. I shook my head slowly, solemnly. She sighed and turned back to her food.

"I really wish that you two would stop doing that freaky silent conversation thing that you always do. It makes it so much easier for the rest of us to tolerate you when you act normally." Fred was joking, but he was right. We did do our "freaky silent conversation thing" excessively often.

Fred rolled his eyes at us as we both flipped him the one-fingered salute. There were several small little gasps as the innocent little first years to our right were truly introduced to the older generation of Hogwarts.

I groaned internally and looked slowly. Wide eyes and pale faces greeted me, but I think Alice was paler than the lot of them. She turned away from them and her skin deepened to a dark magenta.

A glass clinked at the front of the hall and we all swiveled in our seats to see Professor McGonagall walk to the old podium and open her mouth to speak.

"Another year, another beginning. To start us off I would like to inform you that our Potions Professor, Horace Slughorn has retired." A murmur ran through the hall. Slughorn had been threatening to retire for year, but no one thought he'd actually go through with it. "He has agreed to stay on the staff as a trusted advisor, tutor and Head of Slytherin House." There we go. The older students let out a chuckle and the Headmistress cleared her throat.

"Taking over for our lovely Professor Slughorn, will be one of Hogwarts' finest. He was Head Boy two years ago and he trained to be a Healer with an emphasis in potion making. The fates have sent him here and now I am pleased to announce that Aston Evensleigh will be joining our staff."

Small little claps went out over the hall, but the four of us froze. I scanned the tables, hoping I had heard wrong but I knew I hadn't. There he was, sitting at the staff table with this small little smirk on his face.

That bastard. That mother fucking god forsaken arse. How dare he come back here after what he did to-

Next to me, I felt Alice start to sway and she looked green. I put my arm around her and she leaned into me. Fred grabbed her hands and whispered small soothing words as Anne passed me a napkin, charmed to stay cold. I pressed it to Alice's neck. She jumped, then easily leaned away from me and sat up, with a small, determined look on her face. Fred released her hands and I saw her slip them beneath the table. She looked almost normal again, but I knew something was off. She never put her hands beneath the table, (you know, one of those things that people were paranoid about) and they had been shaking as she did so.

McGonagall finished her speech and sent us to bed. Alice and I said goodbye to Fred and Anne on the landing to the fifth floor. We continued up to the Head's common room, which we would now live in. We made our way to the eighth floor, in search of the painting of the founders. When we found it, we set out password (Marauders) and stepped into our new common room.

It looked like the Gryffindor common room but cozier. Instead of four armchairs and two couches, there were two and one, respectively. The fire was low in the grate and it was casting a warm glow across the room. On the far side, there was a small winding staircase with torches lighting the stairs. Alice sighed and went to plop on the couch, I smiled at her and followed suit. When I sat down, she looked at me, and sighed. We both drug our formal robes over our heads at the same time and watched as they hit the floor.

"We did it. We finally made it." I nodded. I let out a small groan and leaned back into the overstuffed couch. She leaned with me and put her head on my shoulder. We sat there silently, until I felt a bead of water trickle down the back of my neck. I sat Alice up, and saw her wet, red-rimmed eyes.

"Oh, Alice." I held her close as she started sobbing. She grasped at my shirt and pulled at my neck. Her lips roamed up my neck and over my ear. "Alice…" It was a warning and she knew it, but that didn't stop her. Her hands moved down, and pulled my shirt out from my pants and then moved to unbutton it. "Alice!" She didn't listen, as her lips met mine. I felt the, now, familiar shock as her lips moved against mine. She stuck her tongue in my mouth and pushed me back onto the couch. She threw her leg over me, and tried to keep me leaning back. I shoved on her shoulders, and sat up. "Alice, no."

She moved away from me, looking like a petulant child with her arms crossed over her chest and legs crossed beneath her.

"Alice, we can't do that. Not again." I buttoned up my shirt, the saucy witch had gotten all but one button undone. I stood, as she still sat in her huff, and grabbed my robes off the floor. I started for the staircase, turning back to look at her once. I watched her stare into the dwindling fire, as one, last solitary tear rolled down her face. I sighed and walked up to the dorms.

I saw the room that said _James _in a fancy script and stepped inside. A gigantic four-poster bed was the centerpiece with a dresser and a large fireplace dominating the other wall. There was a set of French doors on one wall. Waking over to them I pushed them open, revealing a look over the Black Lake and beyond to the forest.

To say the room was wonderful would be an understatement, but the coolest part was the bookshelf next to the fire. I thought they were books but it turns out that it was all the detention cards from James Potter the first, Sirius Black, my dad, and aunts and uncles days at Hogwarts. Beneath each card, there was a description of the reasons why they had detention, and if it had been a prank, which it usually was, and then each prank given in detail. The pranks that the first Weasley twins pulled had to be some of my favorites. They were some of the classic, perfect pranks. I saw several that would make reappearances.

I looked around the room, content. This was the perfect way to start the year. On the far wall, an unmarked door beckoned. I walked over and twisted the handle. Poking my head in, I saw a huge bathroom. There were two shower stalls, a giant bathtub, two sinks and magical paintings covering the walls. Stacks of towels were next to each shower and the tub was deeper and bigger than the one in the prefects' bathroom.

Noting the two shower stalls, I realized that I would have to share a bathroom with Alice. That was sure going to help our current dilemma.

I slipped back into my room. Flopping down onto my bed, I let sleep overcome my mind and the last thoughts I had were about one person.

Alice Longbottom.


	4. Chapter 4: Alice

Hey! I know that it's been a while but my life is a mess! I wrote this instead of writing an essay that is worth twenty-five percent of my grade. Good decision? Not really.

Drop me a review!

Chapter 4

_Alice_

Waking up from a haunted sleep, I sat up in my new room, my new quarters, with my Head Girl badge on the bedside table. Life should have been perfect. Life almost was perfect, to be honest.

I had a shining badge, a loving family, and amazing friends. I am seventeen and willing to accept society for what it is, although wanting to help mold the world for the future. I am slightly attractive, and can hold my own in a Quidditch match. The boys don't mind when I spend time with them but the girls and I have had hundreds of girls nights while at school.

I was the daughter of a war hero, not one of the Golden Trio, but having Neville Longbottom, as a dad is amazing. Most people don't know who you are, so people don't stop me, but when I am recognized, it's nice.

The only problem was I didn't have the guy; the one guy who I've been trying to move on from since I met him. He's only one that I can never quite walk away from, no matter how hard I try. He's never looked at me the way that I want him to, the way that I look at him.

Of course, I would be that stupid cliché of the girl falling in love with her best friend. James Sirius Potter is so bloody infuriating.

Loving him is not easy, especially when he is the second biggest womanizer at school. Fred, of course, is first, but James pulls a close second. He can't seem to be able to hold down a girl for more than two, three weeks, maximum. The worst part is, every girl seems to think that they are going to be different, the one to change his ways. Of course they never are. It's pathetic.

I know that kissing him last night was stupid, but the only way that I get away with it is if I'm drunk or emotionally strung out. He knew I wasn't drunk, so emotionally strung out should have worked. He almost never says no, the only times he says no are the times when he worries that someone might find us. I can't understand why he said no last night.

I hate that word. _No._It's not as if I've never been told the word, it's only when James says it. He makes it sound so final. There is no debating whether he means it; I always know that he does. Rolling over to grab my wand from the nightstand, I set a silent spell to warm my dressing gown and my slippers. Sipping the warm covers off my legs, I stepped into my warm slippers and dressing gown.

Opening the door to the bathroom, I heard running water. Oh wonderful, James was already up. I was hoping to be put together somewhat before I had to answer to him. I walked in as quietly as I could, but stumbled over a stand and sent it tumbling to the ground.

"Shit. Ow, my foot." I whined loudly. James stuck his head out of his shower.

"What did you trip over?" His tone was concerned but his face said otherwise.

"Towel rack. Fucking thing jumped into my path, bloody magic." He rolled his eyes and jumped back into his shower. I let out a small sigh, and moved over to the sink that had all of my toiletries around it. I brushed my teeth and washed my face. As I was ready to hop into my own shower, James was stepping out of his. He had a towel slung around his waist and had not dried off at all.

Another hard thing about falling in love with your best friend, he is completely comfortable walking around without a shirt on in front of you. I tried not to stare as water dripped down his Quidditch-sculpted chest and water droplets clung to his mahogany hair. I turned back to the sink, and grabbed on for support. I could feel my knees buckling, and the last time I had a "fainting spell" around James he made me go to the infirmary and Madame Pomfrey wouldn't release me for twelve hours.

He came up behind me and looked at me in the reflection. I tried not to get lost in his dark brown eyes. He says they are just a plain, boring brown. But, _I_ know, after close inspection that they have the slightest specks of tiny green around the edges. He had just enough of his mother to not be sickeningly masculine, but enough of his father to have a strong chin and jaw. He was stunning, and for the moment, he was mine.

"Are we okay? After last night?" His words cut through me, as his eyes stayed locked on mine. I tried to back away and just bumped into his chest… his bare chest… dripping with water… from the shower… still wet… only a towel wrapped around him. Oh god, I am so far gone on this boy.

He put his hands on the sink where mine had been, effectively trapping me. I looked into the mirror and avoided his eyes, focusing on his left eyebrow. There was a scar there from an exploding potion in second year. "Alice?" He raised the aforementioned eyebrow and I shook my head, to clear the thoughts that were forming again.

Well of course, I wasn't okay, but I couldn't just up and tell him that I love him and I wasn't just crazy with emotion. That would be the worst mistake I could make. So I nodded, and swallowed.

"Fine, we're fine. I was just strung out last night. I wasn't thinking." He let me slip under his arm and walk over to my shower. I let the dressing gown slip over my shoulder and I slid out of my slippers. He was watching me with caution. I looked back at him, and then turned around. His eyes raked up and down my body quickly, and then smirking turned around to face his sink.

"I better be the only male to ever see you wearing that little stitch of cloth you call a nightdress." I glanced down and saw that I was wearing my most revealing nightdress that I owned. I blushed scarlet and stepped into the shower. Luck and wit was on my side and I quickly retorted.

"Alright, I'll just make sure the others see me in nothing at all." I threw the garment out and heard him laugh loudly, before the water from the sink was running.

I ran through my shower routine quickly. I was in and out within ten minutes, and I all but ran to my room, so I could quickly get ready. My conversation with James had taken longer than expected and I was running behind. I used a heating and wind charm on my hair to dry it while I was putting on my makeup. As I was finishing my eyes, my door banged open and I jabbed myself with the mascara wand. I looked up and saw Anne lounging on my bed. I rolled my eyes and used more magic to clean up the mess I had made with the mascara.

"Even with my own private quarters, with my own private password, you still find a way to make me more behind than I already am." I said over my shoulder to Anne. She shrugged.

"I figured you could use the company. We ran into James on the way down to breakfast. He said you were still getting ready. He also said that you tried to pull something again last night. He is crediting hurt emotions." She raised one eyebrow and just watched me as I finished putting on my lip stain. I said nothing, but the silence was confirmation.

"Alice! You can't just keep jumping him every time that you want to! He will notice eventually and then you will have to tell him!" She had jumped up from the bed and walked behind me. I stood up, still silent and walked into the bathroom. She stood in the doorway, appraising the room. One eyebrow slowly rose as she noticed the two showers and two sinks. "You are sharing a bathroom with him?" I nodded as I sprayed my perfume in a cloud around me. It was one of Weasley Wizard Wheezes beauty products. When you sprayed the perfume in a full circle around yourself, it saturated your skin and it smelled wonderful until you washed it off, leaving you smelling your best all day. It was my favorite of their products.

When the cloud cleared, Anne was standing, waiting for me patiently. I rolled my eyes, and pushed by her to grab my bag and my wand. I started out my door, and down the stairs, with Anne trotting along behind me with a smug grin on her face.

"I'm sure this morning was pleasant for you. Doesn't James tend to walk around shirtless while getting ready for his day?" The impish smirk on her face grew as I blushed magenta. It was no use trying to keep anything from Anne. She was impossibly good at getting answers from people.

"Just don't say anything more, alright?" I knew my face had dimmed to a bright red and we were almost down to the Great Hall. She nodded through her silent giggles. We pushed open the doors and made our way down to where the boys were sitting.

As we sat down, James looked at me and I felt my stomach drop, not because of my unrequited love, but something else. His eyes were shimmering, shimmering a way they only shimmer when a prank is going to happen. I cocked my head, narrowed my eyes and shot him a grin. He looked up and then over his shoulder at the Slytherin table. I watched the reptiles as Fred made a quick wand movement from beneath the table, and all of the present Slytherins' hair turned either burgundy or gold. Every robe turned a navy blue and silver pin stripe, and all of their skin turned yellow and black stripes.

As their screams echoed in the Hall, everyone else roared with laughter. Covering them in the colors of the other houses was a brilliant plan. I just didn't know it would be set into action so soon. As the teachers tried to free the Slytherins of their multicolored appearance, the other students slipped in and out to eat breakfast. We watched as the teachers used spell after spell and most of the time it only made it worse.

When the bell rang to signal fifteen minutes until lessons started, we had timetables appear right in front of our faces. I guess McGonagall was too busy to deliver our timetables personally. Glancing over my schedule, I had a break for the next two hours and then double History of Magic with Ravenclaws, double Herbology with Hufflepuffs, a break for lunch, and then double Potions with the Slytherins. Fabulous.

I looked up at James and Fred. They didn't seem very happy about our Monday scheduling either. James had his head on the table, whilst banging his fist upon it, and Fred had raised his face towards the ceiling, and shook his fists at the big puffy clouds rolling along the rafters. Anne looked like she had been punched in the gut, but better than both of the boys did. There was a wonderful benefit to all aspiring to be Helears and Aurors, we all had the same classes.

We got up from the table and walked up the stairs towards our new rooms. James and I waited in the Gryffindor Common Room for the twins to grab their school bags, then we all headed up to our new living quarters. James and Fred immediately disappeared into James' room, leaving Alice and I the main room.

Two hours later, with just enough time for the four of us to get to History of Magic, we left the room. The professors gave the same speech we had been hearing for the past three years, about needing to study and work hard to prepare for exams, that this year was the hardest, with the most work, lots of boring welcome backs, and three assignments in two classes: Two long essays and one short response. When my dad assigned that long essay, I swear he laughed at us. I'm going to have to talk to him about piling on work just because he thinks that it's "beneficial" to the student. I could kill him sometimes.

After lunch, James and I dawdled on our way to the dungeons. I was dawdling for extra time with him, but he had other plans.

"Are you going to be ok, with Potions this year, I mean?"

"Hmm?" He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. He looked around and pulled me behind a tapestry. There was a small alcove behind it and he lit his wand.

"James, really, this is ridiculous. We need to get to class. We can't be late on our first day back…" He pushed me back against the wall and put his non-wand hand on the wall next to my head. My heart started jumping out of my body, and the blood rushed to my head. He had to know how he affected me. He had to. There was no possible way that he didn't. It was so obvious, every time he came within a foot of me-

"Alice. Are you going to be able to take Potions this year?" His face, for once, matched his eyes. His whole body radiated concern. "I know that fifth year was really tough for you and I just need to make sure…" He sighed and looked down. He let his wand drop with his face. His whole body drooped and he put his forehead to mine. My heart stopped and I didn't feel it start again. He whispered, "Knox" and slipped his wand into his robes. He wrapped his free arm around the back of my neck and his wand arm around my waist.

Not only was my heart not beating but my lungs had stopped working as well. I was as close to passing out as I could be. "Alice… please tell me that you will be ok. I need to know. That fuckwit has no right to be back here. He deserves to be drawn and quartered." I laughed a short tiny breath.

"James, I was over him before the bruises were black." He let out a small growl. I slapped his arm and then rubbed my hand up and down his bicep. "James, I will be fine. I will graduate top of this year, and we, the two of us and the four of us, we will be out of this place and into the real world in nine months." He nodded against my head and then dropped his face into the crook of my neck.

"I love you, Alice." He said it with so much simplicity. I knew that he didn't mean it in the way that I wanted him to mean it, but the words still made my heart start again in my chest, and beat a sporadic pace.

"I love you, too, James." He nodded and then straightened. He smiled at my slightly and then grabbed my hand.

"Come on! We're going to be late to Potions! We don't want to be late on the first day back! You are setting a horrible example to the younger children." I scoffed at his arrogance and whacked him across the arm again.

We had almost made it to the dungeon doors when the warning bell rang. As we made it to the classroom doors, we bumped into James' younger brother.

"Al! What are you doing down here? Oh that's right, you are a spineless-"

"-a spineless traitor who lives in the cold wet basement, and slinks around with people who slink. Yes, I know James. You have told me a thousand times." James rolled his eyes at his brother as Al hurried up the staircase. How strange. His posture hunched and his stride seemed off. For the rest of, well most of, Potions I thought of one person, and just because of a chance run in with the boy. Odd usually one Potter dominated my thoughts. Today it was the other.

Albus Potter.


	5. Chapter 5: Albus

Chapter 5

_Albus_

I hurried up the stairs away from my brother and eventual sister-in-law. I hope they get together soon; I need to win the money that I placed on their fall wedding.

The train ride had been normal, the feast had been grand, and the first night back had been the usual pranks and party. Waking up this morning had been incredibly difficult. Too much firewhiskey and not enough sleep means hellish hangovers. And since we are back at school there isn't any Hangover potion for students use.

Damn Scorpius. He was the one who brought the alcohol. Prefect, my ass. The only reason he's a Prefect is because he's the only semi-responsible Slytherin guy in our year. Although it does come in handy, having your best mate as a Prefect. He never gives you any punishments. I ran up the stairs and headed for the library. I was rounding a third floor corridor when I ran into Elle.

"Hi Al, don't you look dashing this morning." Her smile was devious, and she spoke unnecessarily loud. I shot her a look and she shot one right back. She linked arms with me as we walked towards the library.

"Is it necessary to yell in my ear, Adelle? Do you find pleasure in my pain?" I had it wrong before when I said she was smiling. She was smirking. She raised one eyebrow at me and then leaned to whisper in my ear.

"Yes, of course I do." She purred lightly. I felt chills run down my spine at her sultry tone. I looked over at her. Liquid gold stared back at me, heavy with lust. I looked away from her for a second and glanced around the corridor. I pulled the map out of my back pocket. I had nicked it from James' trunk on the train ride.

Quickly I scanned the floors between the Room of Requirement and us. All floors were clear. I looked back to Elle and jerked my head to the nearest staircase and said, "I'll race you." She grinned and took off running.

We made it to the Room in record time. I paced back and forth three times and waited as the door materialized before our eyes. She grabbed my tie and pulled me into the room.

I looked around the room. It was our usual hideout, equipped with a huge fire with giant pillows in front of it, an extremely comfortable couch, and a giant four-poster bed in the corner of the room. I took this all in within a few seconds before her lips crashed down on mine and I was lost in the familiar sensation of skin on skin. Clothing dropped to the floor and we stumbled our way to the bed.

Forty-five minutes later, curled around each other, Elle looked up at me.

"Al?" I looked down at her. Her strawberry blonde hair was tousled and splayed across the pillows behind her. I brushed her fringe out of her eyes and waited for her to continue. "I was wondering why we keep doing this." I shifted and sat up. She sat up a second later keeping up with me, but her voice grew more concerned.

"I mean, we're friends. We play Quidditch, and do our homework, attempt to play chess together. We team up in class. We seem to gravitate towards each other. And yet…" Her voice died down as she continued to think. I prodded her with my shoulder gently. Her voice came back strong.

"And yet when we are faced with the reality of a relationship we both clam up, and walk away. This meet up in secret thing was fun when we were fourteen but it's been two years. We've grown up a lot since we started this. I think we need to talk about this." I picked up my glasses from the bedside table and slid them on. I grabbed my watch next and looked at the time. I got out of bed and gathered my clothes from the various places that they had been scattered around the room, silently. I could feel her eyes on me all the time, but I did not speak.

I pulled on my gray jumper and ran my fingers through my hair. I turned back to look at her. She was still sitting in the bed, watching me.

"I'm going to be late for Herbology; you are too if we don't leave in the next two minutes."

I grabbed my bag from its place by the door, and started out. I heard her small, feeble cry out to me, but I let the door swing shut behind me.

I made it to the greenhouses in a record five minutes. I took my seat right as the final bell rang somewhere in the castle. I heard the door slam shut and turned to see Elle walking towards me. Her eyes were red but other than that, she looked perfectly normal.

She took her seat next to me as Professor Longbottom started his lecture about being in our last years at school, and our decisions now would shape our future. I had been hearing the same speech from every teacher since last year.

When we were leaving the classroom and hour and a half later with twelve inches due in a week I tried to get Elle's attention. She brushed past me and walked at a brisk pace to the castle.

"Elle! Ellie! Slow down!" I caught up with her as she reached the doors.

"What do you want Albus?" Her voice was short and choppy.

"I want to know what is wrong with you." I quieted my voice so only she could hear. "We have been doing the same thing since fourth year. Why are you trying to change this on me now? What changed, Ellie?" I tried to look into her eyes but she wouldn't meet my gaze.

"Nothing has changed Al, I just decided to stop lying to myself. And to do that, I need to be honest with you." I nodded and she opened her mouth and then closed it again. Her eyes flitted to something over my shoulder. She stood up straight and backed up a step.

"No, Albus. That is a horrible idea and Scorp would never be dumb enough to- oh hi, Scorp." The first part of her sentence confused me, but when she finished I understood. I turned my head and Scorp was walking up to us. Little witch ignoring the issue.

He smirked and said, "I wouldn't be dumb enough to do what?" She smirked back and replied coolly.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Scorp nodded and raised one eyebrow. She shook her head and ran for the castle.

"Women." He muttered.

"Tell me about it, mate."

The rest of Albus' slow, boring school day was filled with nothing but "Nothing has changed," and "stop lying to myself." He didn't know what to make of it, but he knew one thing. Something had changed this year. Less of a something and more of a someone.

Adelle Madison.

Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long and that it's so short but I got everything I wanted out of this chapter quickly. So now, there's only one more chapter of introduction and then we move on into the story. I know I say this lot but it should be out soon. We have Spring Break this month so I will write when I am out of school, except for on my birthday. It is in the next two weeks. If someone can guess the date the next chapter will be dedicated to you! Review, my loves!


	6. Chapter 6: Adelle

Chapter 6

Adelle

That fucking fucker. How could he do that to me? Me! I'm his best friend! I've been his secret lover since we were fifteen! How could he do that? How could he not feel the same way about me? I know he does. He's said things in the height of passion that he would kill me for mentioning. I know he loves me. He must. He wouldn't keep me around if he didn't.

Keeping my head down, I storm my way through the castle, until I bump into something tall, hard, and undeniably male.

"Woah there. Where's the troll, Madison?"

Ugh, wonderful. Cassius McLaggen. The stupid fuck has been following me around since my bosoms came in during third year, and I have been avoiding him for even longer.

"Nowhere McLaggen, I just have a class that I need to get to. So if you'll excuse me." I tried to step around him, but he was faster.

"What class?" He sidestepped me, grabbing my bag. "I can walk you. It's no trouble."

Stopping and turning to face him, I grab my bag away from him. "Really, stop. I don't want you to walk me. I can make it to Runes on my-"

"Oh you're going to Ancient Runes then? Wonderful so am I, well actually I'm on my way to Arithmancy but it's only down the corridor from Runes." He grabbed my bag back, shot me, what I suppose, was a heartbreaking smile, and started to walk towards the third floor. Not wanting him to get to far ahead with my things, I followed.

Catching up with him on a staircase from the second to third floor, I grabbed for my bag, but he snatched it away again.

"Tsch, tsch." He clicked his tongue at me and shook his head. "Why must you insist on letting chivalry die?"

"I'm not letting chivalry die. I'm merely trying to retrieve my bag from a fucktart who stole it from me." I was already in a shitty mood, and this idiot was making it worse.

He chuckled. "What a sailors tongue you've got. I am amazed. Now, where did you learn to speak like that?" He stepped off, and took off down the corridor. I hopped off the enchanted stairs just as they started to move again.

"Oi! McLaggen! Give me my bag back!" He was already standing outside of the Runes classroom door. He leaned against the wall, holding my bag out on one hand.

"This what you're looking for? Come on Adelle, ask for it nicely." He was toying with me, taunting me. Bad move on a good day, the worst move on a bad day, and this had already been the worst day of my life.

I whipped out my wand, and said, very, very slowly, "Give me my bag. Please."

"Come on Adelle, you can do better than that. Really mean it."

He was asking for it, really asking for it. I was just about to curse him with the worst jinx I could think of when Al walked up behind us.

"Something wrong, Adelle? This idgit giving you any trouble?" He had to know he was. All McLaggen did was cause trouble.

"Well, actually, yes Albus, he is causing trouble." My tone was polite but I felt Al stiffen at my side when I said his full name. He hated it and I only used it when I was incredibly mad at him or he was in huge trouble. This was a bit of both. "You see Albus, McLaggen won't give me back my bag, and I have been asking for it for a while now."

Al shook his head and then turned to McLaggen. "You heard the girl. Give her back the bag." McLaggen hesitated, glancing from Al tome, and back. "Now McLaggen, you wouldn't want me to report you to the Head Boy and Girl for harassment, would you?" He tossed me the bag and started down the hall.

Turning around he shouted back at me. "I'll see you later Madison, and we'll finish what we started." He winked and then turned and sauntered away. God I hate that self-righteous prick.

"What does he mean, 'finish what we started'?" I looked at Al. He was turned towards the door, his profile towards me. "Ellie, what does he mean?"

"Little you care." I shoved my way through the Runes door as Al swiftly followed me. I staked out the last desk in the first formation of desks, leaving Al to study with some Ravenclaws.

Halfway through Professor Babbling's opening speech, a little origami bird landed on my desk. I opened it, knowing whom it was from and what it would say.

_Ellie,_

_Please tell me what I did wrong. I can't stand you being mad at me. I just don't understand why you are so upset. What's been going on for the past few years has been incredible. Why would we mess it up now? Please, tell me what's wrong._

_Al._

I shook my head and just crumpled up the paper. I dropped it in my bag, and wrote him back on a plain piece of paper folded into squares.

_Al,_

_If you don't understand then you never will. I'm sorry but I need more than this sneaking around, and frivolous shagging in between classes. I want someone to hold hands with in the Great Hall, and to kiss me out by the lake. I want someone that I can see the sunshine with, someone for the sun to shine on. I'm sorry, but until then, you and I are done._

_Adelle_

I dropped the note on his desk as the bell rang. He was talking to Professor Babbling about the assigned reading, so I slipped out the door ahead of him, and ran down the hall. I slipped into the loo, and into a stall. I whipped out the map that I had stolen from Al, and checked to see if he was gone yet. He was standing still on the staircase to the fifth floor. Maybe he was sitting and reading my letter. I slipped the map back into my bag and stepped out to the sinks. The door opened behind me, and I turned to see a fuming Rose Weasley step into the bathroom. She walked right by me, and slammed the door to the stall closed.

I slowly walked over to the door, which was still shaking slightly. Knocking I called, "Rose, are you ok?"

"No I am not ok. Stupid Scorpius Fucking Malfoy is going to ruin this year for me and I won't have it. That imbecile, God I hate him." She was in foul mood, probably by Scorp putting his foot in his mouth, like he always does when Rose is around. I stepped back as she opened the door. She was scrubbing her eyes with her hands, and she walked to the sinks to splash her face off.

I watched as he mind practically whirred. "If only I had a way to avoid Malfoy for the rest of the day I would be golden. I could set a Caterwauling Charm on him that only I could hear, so whenever he came within twenty feet of me I could leave the area."

I stared at her, amazed. "You can do that?" She was speaking of very serious magic.

She looked at me, breaking from her trance. "Well I could, but it would take an awful lot of magic and energy, plus it would wear off quickly so I'd have to re-administer the charm every few days, which would be very draining. So no, I don't think I'll be doing that."

Still shaking my head in amazement, I walked over to the sink next to her. "I would offer you the map, but I need it to avoid Al."

Now it was her turn to look amazed. She turned towards me and said, "You have the map. It's barely the end of the first day. How do you already have the map?"

It was a well-known game between the Weasley-Potter clan and friends to steal the map and cloak from each other as often as possible. I usually had the map and Lily usually found a way to have the cloak. However, for me to have it on the first day was impressive.

"I stole it from Al, who stole it on the train ride from James. It was simple. Al stupidly let me see where he was hiding it in his bag, and I grabbed it when he wasn't looking. He is the easiest target to steal from."

She laughed and turned back to the mirror. She pulled a bag of cosmetics out of her satchel and swept some powder over her nose and some sheer gloss over her lips. God she was beautiful. I know she doesn't see it, but she truly is remarkably stunning. With glossy hair that seems to fall in waves straight from the nineteen-thirties, full lips, sparkling turquoise eyes with full lashes, she truly was a stunner. No wonder Scorp fell so hard so fast.

Still slightly chuckling, she turned to me and said, "Well I'm off. Thanks for letting me take a load off on you. When you see Malfoy later, tell him that I will only be as professional as he is. If he wants to start a war, he will get a war."

She turned and sauntered out, leaving behind her sweet perfume scent and the echoes of her laugh in my ear. I would make sure to deliver the message to my dear friend Scorpius.

Coward that I am, I pulled the map out of my bag and checked for Al's name one more time. He was still on the fifth floor, his name hovering about ten feet away from the Gryffindor common room. I watched as others flew by and around him.

I closed the parchment and took off to the dungeons for potions, making it there just before the bell rang. I slipped into a seat next to Gwen, a quiet girl from my dorm, at the front of the class. We exchanged small nods and waited for our new professor to make his entrance. I turned, with the rest of the class, when the door opened, expecting Evensleigh.

It was Al and Rose, arriving late, both looking sheepishly around and running to the one empty desk. I quickly spun around quickly avoiding Al's lingering gaze. I could feel it on my neck and back. We waited for a good ten minutes, when the door ahead of us slammed open and our new Potions professor walked in.

"To the younger generation I am Professor Evensleigh, but to you lot I am Aston, I know most of you anyways so I don't see why you should have to call me Professor. Alright, sorry I'm late, let's get started.

As we were introduced to potions that we would be making throughout the year, one caught my eye in particular, or perhaps my nose.

Amortentia, stupid love potion. I knew what I would smell, but I took a good whiff anyways. Butterbeer, a bakery, and musky aftershave. Al's aftershave.

Stupid fucking twat. Can't even escape him if I try.

The bell rang for the end of class and I slipped out, trying to avoid Al. I stepped into a dark alcove and watched him hurry up the stairs, seemingly chasing after me. I breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out.

"Hey, Adelle." I jumped three feet in the air as Rose came up behind me.

"Dear Merlin, Rose you gave me a fright." My heart was pounding so loud I could barely hear.

She laughed and shook her head. "He will find you eventually, why not just face him now? Whatever, can I have the map for patrols tonight? I promise I will bring it to you first thing tomorrow morning. I know you've only had it a couple of hours but I could really use it."

I looked around her shoulders and then back to her expectant face. "Um, yeah sure I guess. Do you need it now, or can I drop it off at your common room after dinner?"

"That'll be great. Ah Elle, you are a life saver!" She took off down the hall and up the stairs. I watched her go and shook my head in amazement.

No wonder Scorpius lost his heart to the one woman he couldn't have.

Rose Weasley.

Sorry for the hiatus you guys. I hope that this chapter did something for you, and the updates should be a little more frequent since school's out for the summer. Hope you enjoyed, review!


	7. Chapter 7: Rose

Hey, ya'll! I think this is my fastest update ever! I wanted to get this out for you before I go on vacation for a week and can't write at all. Well, I probably will write, but I will most likely write my novel, rather than FanFiction. But who knows, maybe the South Carolina beaches will bring me inspiration. :] I may get one more chapter out before I leave on Sunday, but I have a million things to do, so I doubt it! If I do, it will be very short, and I hate putting out very short chapters. I hate getting them so I know you guys must!

Thanks for reviewing the last chapter and those before it! It means a lot! I don't think I responded to any reviews, but I will be back on top of it this chapter!

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Chapter 7

Rose

I walked up the stairs after my second conversation with Adelle that day. That witch already had the map. For Merlin's sake, we hadn't even been here a full day yet. As I slipped into the Great Hall for lunch, I saw Lotte and Michael a little ways down the table.

Sliding in next to Michael, I watched them play their game of Wizards Chess, letting my mind wander.

When Aston had sauntered in to the dungeon, I knew it would be a good year. No matter how perfect a Prefect I was, whenever you're allowed to call a teacher by their first name, it was a good sign. We spent the class inspecting all of the potions we would learn that year. Out of all, the bone-healing potion seemed like the hardest, but we would be working in groups of four so it wouldn't be that difficult. The worst was when he told us we actually had to make Amortentia. Studying the properties and such would be fine, but letting a group of hormonal teenagers with rampant imaginations learn how to make the greatest love potion in the world? It isn't the best choice in the world, although, the small cauldron that had been bubbling in the front of the dungeon did smell heavenly. Old books, Grandma Molly's kitchen, and a woodsy, citrusy smell. I wasn't sure where the last scent came from, but I feel like it might come from the Burrow, or maybe Potter Manor.

"… and being that I was so close to them due to the moving staircase, I overheard that a certain someone is planning on asking you to the first Hogsmeade weekend! Rose? Rose, are you even listening?"

"Hmm? No sorry, who's doing what?"

Lotte let out a disdainful sigh, and rolled her eyes. "I overheard Cass and Derring Grey on the stairs today. He's thinking of asking you out." She raised one eyebrow and bit her bottom lip. I was not as happy.

"Who, Cassius McLaggen? Eugh. If he takes one step within a twenty-foot radius of me, I will jinx him into oblivion." That fucker had been causing trouble for the greater female population of Hogwarts since third year. No one, I mean no one, could stand him except for quiet Derring Grey.

Michael laughed and said, "No stupid, not McLaggen, Derring."

That surprised me. Derring was a friend. He was a fellow sixth year Gryffindor, so I knew him through classes and the common room. The boys got along with him, but he wasn't close with anyone, aside from McLaggen. He was good looking, with short dark hair, and green eyes. He resembled Albus, except for the glasses. I had never really given him a thought, but at the same time, I'd never really given anyone a thought.

"Oh." I leaned forward to grab some fish and chips from the platters that had appeared on the table for lunch.

"That's all you have to say? 'Oh'?" I glance up at Lotte's face. Her eyebrows were practically touching her hairline, and her mouth was to the floor.

"Um, yes? Why should I say anymore? It's not as if I've been harboring some deep desire for him to ask me out. I'm pleasantly surprised."

She beamed. "But pleasantly. That's good."

I leaned and grabbed at the bowl of malt vinegar a little ways down the table. "It's not like it matters. The first Hogsmeade weekend isn't for a week. He could change his mind by then."

Michael snorted. "I doubt it. He's been pining after you for years. If he's asking you out, he's doing it soon."

Lotte nodded over my shoulder, "Like now." My head shot up, as she spoke again. "Hi Derring, how are you?"

"Fine, thanks. Do you lot mind if I sit down? There are only a few first years down the table and I hate eating alone."

"Of course you can. Michael, be a dear and slide under to this side so we can feel more aligned."

He did and Derring took his place. We all made small talk, about our first day and our schedules. Derring and I actually had Ancient Runes next.

As we finished up, the bells chimed for the next hour to start. Derring offered to walk me to class, since we were going to the same place. As we walked to the third floor, we fell into a companionable silence. I cast sidelong glances at him. He really was cute, his nose was a little crooked his ears a little too big, but in a good way. So as to make him cute, but to have imperfections. I would lie if I said he was the most attractive male at school but he was sweet, which makes up for everything.

We were crossing onto the second floor staircase when he turned to me and said, "Look Rose, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go to Hogsmeade with me in a few weeks? I don't want to seem to forward, but I have liked you for a while now, actually a lot longer than a while, since fourth year, and I woke up this morning with the courage to ask you and I didn't really want to wait in asking, because if I did I know I'd lose steam and if I lost steam and didn't ask you out I know that I would regret it forever and I am rambling and am going to shut up now."

While he rambled, the stairs had started to move. Originally, we were the only ones on them, but at the last second, a Slytherin had hopped on. They had their hood pulled up over their head; I just noticed his badge on his bag.

I turned to face Derring, a small smile on my face. He really was cute, and endearing. What the hell, as Lotte had said, I did need a boyfriend.

"Of course I'll go with you Derring. When is the first trip? Next weekend?"

The smile on his face could not have been any bigger. He beamed as he nodded, confirming the date of the first trip. One of the many perks of being older; we got extra Hogsmeade weekends.

As we walked off to Runes, he chatted on about details of our date, what kind of flowers I liked, if I was one of those girls who liked Madame Puddifoot's or if I preferred The Three Broomsticks, asking if maybe we wanted to start studying Runes together regularly, because he knew the class would be hell, and he wasn't particularly good at the subject anyways.

I feel somewhat bad for not giving him my full attention, but he seemed to be a talker, and I figured that if he wanted to talk, he could talk, and I would listen-mostly that is.

We slipped into Runes right as the bell was chiming. The Slytherin that had been on the staircase slipped in behind us. We snagged one of the desks in the middle of the room, while he slid in somewhere behind us. The class was practically empty. Most people dropped after O.W.L.'s or never started to begin with.

Practically the oldest teacher in the world, Professor Babbling waltzed in, tapped the board with her wand, gave an indication that we were to translate within the class, and then walked out.

Derring and I scribbled out the first few lines within minutes, it was some Shakespeare sonnet, but one I didn't have memorized. Then it turned into some speech, based on the first few words of the next line.

Stupid Babbling. She always did this. You think you're home free, safe and comfortable with what you've got going and then, wham! You are hit with a surprise twist that leaves you twisted and confused.

When we had about ten minutes left, I sat back and cracked my knuckles. I finally finished. It turned out to be a sonnet, a speech, a poem and a quote from a book about loving others. Babbling usually saved the lovey-dovey stuff until the class starts freaking out at each other over nothing.

As Derring and I started for different places-he headed towards the common room while I still had Care of Magical Creatures- I heard my name called at me, well not my name exactly, my surname.

"Weasley! Weasley! Hey-'scuse me, sorry- WEASLEY!" Malfoy was chasing me down the stairs. After our small run in earlier that day, I didn't really want to speak with him again. Stupid prat had ruined my morning. He caught up with me as I hit the front door.

"Hey, Weasley? Did you not hear me calling? Actually I don't care, listen. Speksie says he can't do patrols tonight, and needs me to take over for him. Apparently, your cousin- James mind you- and the other Captains have called a meeting for all seventh year Quidditch players. Look I don't really care; I just need to know where to meet you."

James would do something like that. What an ass. It's not as it really matters for Quidditch this year. None of the other teams are good enough to beat Gryffindor. Not to be stuck up about it, I mean we will have James as Captain and Chaser, the twins as Beaters, Lily and Hugo as the other Chasers, Alice as Seeker and I will play Keeper. Since we play together all the time during the summer, it keeps us in shape and we mesh as a team incredibly well.

"Weasley? Weasley?" He really was the most impatient, impertinent little- well not really little.

He hasn't been little since the summer before Fourth year. I remember when he showed up at the Potter's, and he was almost as tall as Uncle Harry was. Then, the next summer, we were playing a shirts-vs.-skins game of Quidditch, and I had almost fallen off my broom when he pulled off his shirt. Moreover, since then, he has only grown and developed more. I had to tilt my head to look him in the eyes, which gave me a good sweeping look of his torso and arms. His school sweater fit him so well, it was tight across his chest, and then fell loosely against his rippled stomach. I only knew it rippled from the shirts/skins Quidditch games on the pitch behind Potter Manor. In addition, his pants hugged his butt so well that you couldn't help but admire it, and I know that he is packing it up front. You know, by the occasional… frequent run-ins… all right, _planned _stalking in the Prefect Bathrooms. Not just me, but all the girls, when we creep on all the boys when they have the room every Tuesday night… Not our best, upstanding, models-of-the-school moments but still. I had to admit though the most attractive part about him will always be his face. Strong, but slightly off center, stormy eyes, full lips and perfect blonde hair.

His eyes especially, they said everything about him. Whether he was happy or feeling mischievous, but especially when he was gunning for a fight. They went so stormy, so dark that you were never sure if you would actually win or lose the argument that was sure to happen.

However, no matter how… superhuman attractive he is, he is still Scorpius Malfoy. Total pompous ass and my enemy.

"Right, well I usually meet him at the Potions door and then we make our way up. It is the first week back so I figure that there won't be too much trouble. Usually the partying doesn't start until next week." Luckily, I chose heels this morning so I didn't have to tilt my head back as far as usual. Just normal head tilting.

He nodded. "Alright so meet here at nine, then?" I nodded and then started out the door. "Wait; are you on your way to Care of Magical Creatures?" I turned to look at him, perplexed.

"Yes, how did you know… right. So are you." I had forgotten that we were the only sixth years still in the class.

We started out for Hagrid's Hut in a stony, awkward silence. As we were crossing the bridge, he threw out, "So, you and Grey, huh? I didn't realize you were interested in tall dark and annoying."

"Yeah, well I wasn't, but he's sweet and nice, and I didn't feel like breaking anyone's heart today. He said he has liked me since fourth year after all."

He murmured something beneath his breath, but I didn't care to catch it. Usually he didn't say anything that really mattered. The only reason I know that he said something, was because I had been sneaking a glance at his face from behind my hair, and I caught his lips moving. He looked slightly agitated.

"I mean, it's not that I don't like him, I just don't know him. He's always been somewhat quiet." He raised one eyebrow. "But not anymore. I could barely get him to shut up once I said yes."

"See that's the annoying prat that I know. He never shuts up. He's like a bird, but you can't kiss him to make him shut up. Well, I guess if you were a fag, you could but-"

"Why would you say that? It's so offensive." I hated any derogatory words, but fag hit home for me.

"What do you mean?"

"Fag. Why would you say that? It's offensive, and rude. All it means is cigarette. Why would you call someone a cigarette?"

He looked at me strangely. "It's also a form of slang, accepted in most cultures, for a gay-"

I interrupted him again. "I know that it's slang! But that's just like calling someone or something retarded. It's dumb and ignorant. If they aren't mentally retarded, then why would you compare them to someone who is?"

"Um… I wouldn't. I mean, I don't call people retarded."

"Then why not give the same respect for homosexuals. It's not as if they choose to be gay or not. It's in their DNA."

He looked at me as if I had gone loony.

"I guess… so I won't say that anymore. Or I'll try." He looked down at me. "Why do you care anyways? It's not like you're gay, so why would it matter?"

"I guess I'm more like my mother than I would care to admit. I can't help but fight for the minority."

He looked down at me. "Oh that's right; your mum did all of those laws with House Elves and magical creatures. I had forgotten that."

Now it was my turn to look confused. "What do you mean you forgot? How could you forget? All people can do is ask about me about my parents and uncle."

He shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I just know you as Rose, more than I know you as 'Rose Weasley, yes that Weasley', if you know what I mean."

I nodded enthusiastically. "I do! Merlin, it's like with my parents. People always ask me 'Did they really do this?' or 'Did they really do that?' All I can say is, 'How am I supposed to know? I wasn't there!' I guess it's hard for me to see them as 'The Golden Trio' and all that nonsense. It's like; 'no', they really aren't as perfect as you want them to be. My dad leaves his dirty clothes everywhere and curses like a dragon handler. My mum can't cook to save her life and can't do makeup without washing it off and reapplying it five times. And my uncle? Well, he is wonderful, but I'm sure Al could give you some of his flaws. But I guess it's hard to see them as War Heroes, and Merlin First Class, since for me they've always been mum, dad, and Uncle Harry."

Malfoy nodded. "It's the same with my dad. People always assume that he's an evil git like the one he used to be. I mean, he's my dad, for Merlin's sake! Of course, I don't think he's evil. I mean he can be a downright foul git sometimes, but what parent isn't? Nevertheless, at the end of the day, he's my dad, and, no, he's not evil. He's repented. I mean he's a Healer, he lives to heal people. But you understand I guess."

I shrugged my shoulders and we finished the rest of our walk in silence. I realized that was the first civil conversation I had ever had with Malfoy. And he wasn't he as bad as I thought he was. I mean he's still a git, but not a horrible as I thought. Who would have thought?

Damn.

Scorpius Malfoy.

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**Warning!** Long rant about the use of the word 'retarded' below. If you would like to skip to the less angst-y part of the author's note, then go to the second paragraph now.

All right, sorry I got on my little soap box about derogatory slang words; I'm going to chill here for a minute if you don't mind. I have a stepsister and she has has Down's syndrome, and even though she will be turning twenty in September, she is only about eight or nine mentally. Even though she is funny and bright, and is the sweetest person in the world she will never be able to live on her own, and it is a miracle that she has lived this long. We don't say 'retarded' in my house, or call anything 'retarded'. Because, like Rose said, it isn't. We have even made our family and friends realize that it isn't acceptable to say. It shouldn't be. It can't be. There is campaign now to stop the use of the word 'retarded' in common slang. After all, you wouldn't call an African-American a 'nigger', you wouldn't call a Mexican immigrant a 'Spic', and you wouldn't call a homosexual a 'fag'. So why should you call someone who is mentally, or physically retarded a 'tard' or 'retarded'? If you want to learn more then go to and read about it!

On a less angst-y activist note, I opened a poll on my profile about how long it should take the couples to get together. I don't have it planned in my head quite yet, and I would love some feedback. I would just like to mention that none of the main couples will be getting together before, on, or around Halloween. I just hate it when there are only three selections for a poll. Sorry, but their stories can't wrap up that soon! If you have any suggestions for pranks or plots or funny things you wish for the characters to do or say, review or PM me! I would say 'review mean faster updates' but we all know that isn't true. But review anyway! :]


	8. Chapter 8: Scorpius

Hey everybody! So I think this is the fastest I have updated so far, less than three weeks, I believe. Many hours on a plane gives you many hours to write. I got two chapters done, but I've only typed this one, so it might be another week or so before I can update again. Ya'll don't mind, do you? I doubt it. So there should be another chapter before the month is out, maybe two, if I find more time. Well read away, my darlings!

The usual warnings apply- language, mild sexuality. I do not claim to own anything related to Harry Potter, except for my pillowcase and pencil set I got when I was seven, and my Deathly Hallows Part 2 Midnight Premiere tickets.

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Chapter 8

Scorpius Malfoy

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I walked into the common room after my last class, to drop off my bag before dinner. I glanced around the watery green room and saw Elle sitting in one corner studying. Al was shooting fervent and frequent glances her way, while trying to maintain the façade of a cool demeanor, while slouching on a couch in the opposite corner of the room.

I dropped my bag at my feet as I slid into the armchair next to him. "The weirdest thing happened to me today."

He glanced up at me when I spoke. "Oh yeah? Bet I can top it."

I raised one eyebrow at his ridiculous statement. Nothing will beat my normal conversation with-

"Ellie dumped me."

"Well I had a civil conversation with Rose." I was slouching in my chair, but sat up when his statement finished processing. "Wait, she _dumped _you?"

He sat up a little too. "You actually spoke to Rose? Yeah, isn't that ridiculous? Some shit about wanting it to be out in the open."

Al had told me the minute that he had started to secretly- ahem- date Elle. He was worried that I might have some deep, dark hidden attraction to her and that I would figure it out and go all Kneazle on his ass. I had assured him that my heart belonged to Rose, and that if I were to ever have any sort of romantic interest in Adelle, to just ship me straight to St. Mungo's, because I had either been given a healthy dose of Amortentia, or I had been Imperiused.

I glanced over at Elle, who happened to be shooting a glance at us. Her head shot back to whatever essay she was writing. Her eyes seemed to be unnaturally red and puffy. Mixed with the sadness I saw there, she was taking this worse than Al. I turned my head back to look at the careless prat that I call my best mate.

"I guess that makes sense. She is a girl and all. Yeah we talked about how our parents are just our parents to us, versus war heroes, or villains in my case. It is a little hard to see my dad as a murderous evil bastard when he can hardly kill a tiny spider in our house without freaking the fuck out."

Al laughed a little at that. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's a little difficult to see my dad as 'The Great Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived, and the Chosen One' when I watch him burn eggs every morning, and drool over his Quidditch magazine every month. He's not as cool as everyone thinks he is. Wait, what do you mean 'It makes sense, she's a girl'? How does the fact that she's a girl have anything to do with wanting to go 'public'?"

I sank back into my chair, trying to find the way to explain it to him. "Well, I dunno. I guess it makes sense is all. She wants someone to be seen with."

"But why? If what we have is good, then why muck it up?" He was whining now.

I let out an exasperated sigh. For being third in our year, he could really be thick. Then again, I didn't really understand it either.

"I don't know Al. You might be happy with fucking in a secret room, but she probably wants to snog by the lake. You know, feel the sunshine on her face and all that."

"That's exactly what she said! What a load of pixieshit." He slouched even lower into the couch, and let out a long and low grumble.

"Sorry mate. At least you know she wants you."

He nodded. "Yeah I guess that does count for something. Speaking of unrequited love, you were telling me about your conversation with dear Rosie?"

It was my turn to let out a little grumble. "Not much to tell. Talked about our parents, she lectured me about saying 'fag' in conversation- don't say it in front of her unless you want to be hexed- and we had class. Not much to- oh well Derring Grey did ask her out, so I took the mickey out of her a bit."

"That insufferable, stuttering ass? The one that's always with McLaggen?" He sat up, with wide eyes and a foul expression.

"That's the one. Only once she said yes, he wouldn't shut up."

"And he didn't even ask my permission, or James', or Hugo's, or Fred's, hell, he should have even asked Anne's or Lily's for Merlin's sake. Does he have any manners at all?"

I looked at him with incredulous eyes. That seemed a little farfetched. It is the twenty first century and all. I'll catalogue it anyways; just by some far-fetched chance, I should ever be so lucky to ask Rose out.

He looked back at me, "What? It's just common courtesy is all. I bet that sucked for you, though, that she said yes."

It was as if a white-hot scepter had pierced straight into my heart and every second since, it turned just a little, causing more and more pain.

However, I was not going to say that to Al.

"Well, it's only one date… and some study sessions. It's not as if they're exclusive or anything. I think I'll survive. If the need should arise, I'll pick up some desperate fifth year that's going through a 'bad-boy' phase. That should keep me distracted."

Al laughed and threw a pillow at me. "Yeah, sure you will. When hell freezes over."

I laughed, and tossed the pillow back at him. His Seeker skills helped him catch it before it hit his face. I grabbed my bag, preparing to stand. "Look mate, I've got some things to do before patrols tonight. Catch you later."

He waved his hand flippantly at me as I walked away; he was already shooting glances at Elle again, who was packing up her bag. I watched her roll her essay, stuff it into her bag, and then head out the door, probably on her way to dinner. When the door slammed shut behind her, Al looked dejectedly into the fire.

I ran into the dorm, dropped my bag, pulled off my robes and re-pinned my Prefect badge to the front of my sweater. I didn't feel the need to continue the rest of the day in full uniform, when classes were over, and it wasn't required to wear full garb anyways.

* * *

I was rounding the corner to the Entrance Hall, when I ran into Elle.

"Oh Scor, thank Merlin I found you." She rummaged in her bag, pulling out a folded up piece of parchment. "Do you mind giving this to Rose when you see her for patrols tonight? It's the map, I said I'd run it by the Gryffindor Common Room, but the library is going to close for the night, and I need to go check out a book for an essay. If it's already gone, I'm going to kill those Ravenclaws, because they don't return a book until every single one of them has completed the essay, and since they have the biggest population in our year, that could take a week."

She had lost me when she said 'map.' "How in the world do you _already_ have the map?We have been here _one_ day! _One!_ It's not even long enough for Lily to get the cloak. _One day_!"

She just smiled enigmatically at me, and took off for the stairs. She waved one hand over her shoulder, as she called back to me. "Have fun tonight. Do _try_ to keep it in your pants tonight, alright?"

"Oi!"

Her laughter echoed down the stairs behind her.

* * *

After grabbing a bite in the Great Hall, I slipped into the boy's bathroom to freshen up. Merlin forbid, I have something in my teeth, or have a hair out of place.

At 8:58, I walked to the Entrance Hall. I tried leaning against a wall with my arms crossed, but that felt posed. I stood, and flipped so that one shoulder was against the wall, supporting my weight. After a few seconds, it was hurting my shoulder. I was about the reposition myself again, third time's the charm, but I heard lithe footsteps moving down the stairs behind me. I turned and saw Rose.

She nodded at me. "Scorpius." I nodded back.

"Hey, oh Ellie asked me to give you…" I patted my pockets, reached in and produced the map. "This. She said that she would give it to you for patrols I guess."

Her eyes lit up. "Oh wonderful." She snatched it form my hand, opening its folds to the center. "I thought she had forgotten."

She pulled her 10-inch Cherry and Griffin feather wand out of her knee length sock- years of obsession had lent me loads of useful information like that. She tapped the front of the parchment, muttering under her breath, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

As the map materialized in front of us, she put her wand back into her sock, and mumbled, "Even though I am."

She opened the folds, to look at the dungeon and lower floors. I held the parts of the map that she couldn't with her small hands.

"Huh." When she spoke, it was almost more like a sigh.

"What?" Her hair was in her eyes, and she was blinking quickly as she bit her bottom lip. I wanted to reach out and push her hair out of her eye, grab her face, kiss her softly, and then push her into the broom closet three feet away and snog her senseless.

She glanced up at me. "Hmm? Oh. Well, no one is out of bed or the common room that shouldn't be. It's odd. There's usually a gaggle of Slytherin's right her on the first night."

Her hand reached out, and one long, pale, pink-polished finger pointed towards the large alcove behind a Suit of Armor near the Potions door. I laughed aloud, my bark echoing in the empty hall.

She looked up at me, one eyebrow raised. "What?" Her voice rang with the disdain that was also shining in her eyes.

"Well, you are technically right. There usually is a 'gaggle' of us there."

"Well, then where are they tonight? Why aren't they-"

"It's not the first night, is it?"

Her eyebrows furrowed together, and then both shot up into her fringe.

"You partied _last_ night?"

I smirked, amused at her obvious disapproval. "We might have."

"You are horrible people."

She had taken off for the stairs, and as she ascended them, it gave me a nice view of her ass and mile long legs. I shook the clouds of lust out of my head and followed her up the stairs.

I caught up with her on the second floor staircase. I was almost gasping for breath after chasing her for two floors.

"What is so wrong with us celebrating being back at school?"

She glared at me. "You are underage. You shouldn't be drinking! How did you get the alcohol inside of the castle anyways?"

"Seventh years." I answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

It wasn't true, though. I had been sneaking alcohol into the castle for years, and this year was no exception. But I couldn't tell the girl of my dreams that I had been the one to supply the alcohol to the illicit party last night.

She made a _very_ feral noise in the back of her throat and tossed her hair over her shoulder. The clouds of lust returned, and I almost tripped as we rounded a corner.

I let out a low groan as she threw back a tapestry to reveal a thoroughly entwined couple. As she told them off and took points away from Ravenclaw, I stood back and drooled over her like a muppet.

As she sent them back to their tower, her hair shook and moved like water with her body movements. She was always beautiful, but when she was angry, she was sexy. Plus she didn't know it, which made it better.

As we walked around the castle, catching only two more couples, and three younger students out of bed, we were silent. She was still mad over the party, correction; she was fuming over the party. It didn't matter to me. As long as she wasn't screaming, I didn't mind the quiet.

* * *

We were walking down to the Entrance Hall, to finish for the night when it happened.

I was a step below her; she was falling behind, hiding and then closing the folds of the map.

"Well I guess this wasn't completely horrid after- oh." I had turned around when she had started to speak, and watched her take a false step. She was falling through the air, her arms flailing.

Acting on a pure protection instinct, I reached out and caught her around the waist, pulling her into my chest.

It was one of those corny moments, like in those muggle movies we had to watch in Muggle Studies, where the whole world falls away, and all that you know is yourself and the girl in front of you. Her tiny body pressed flush against mine. To me it felt like a puzzle piece, clicked into place. Her teal eyes were wide and bright, and her pink lips were open as she gasped. Whether it was from the fall or our closeness, I didn't know.

With her that close to me, I could smell her hair. It was the missing piece from the Amortentia this morning. I should have guessed. Slightly sweet, slightly musky, and one hundred percent Rose.

"Well, well. What have we here? A Malfoy and a Weasley in each other's arms? Tsk, tsk. What _would_ your parents say?"

The spell was broken and she jumped out of my arms. We both turned to look at James, who had appeared at the bottom of the stairs, most likely on his way back to the Gryffindor common room after his "Quidditch Meeting".

"Oh please, Jimmy, we were hardly 'in each other's arms.' I tripped, he caught.'

"Don't call me Jimmy!"

"Then don't be a prat." I chuckled, as she turned to me and held out the map. "I trust that you will return this to Adelle?" I nodded, while thinking there was no way in Hell I was giving it back to Elle.

She handed it to me, and I slid it into my pocket.

James let out a horrified noise. "She already had it? We have been here one day! _One!_ One sodding day!"

I laughed as I finished my walk down the stairs, patted James on the shoulder and said, "Look at it this way mate, at least you still have the cloak."

He shook his head. "Since she can't just sneak into my dorm this year, Lily paid me to give it to her. Fifteen Galleons, mind you."

"Honestly!" Rose let out a groan and then turned to climb the stairs. "Goodnight, prats."

"Goodnight." We called back.

As I walked away, I heard James start to whistle an old Weird Sisters song, about losing all you have in a matter of minutes.

Poor guy.

James Potter.

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Well I hoped you liked it. If you have any comments, questions or commentary, then shoot me a review! I do love getting those story alerts and favorite emails, but when it says review, my smile is just that much bigger! See ya'll soon!


	9. Chapter 9: James

Hey guys! Toldja I'd be back soon. I hope this is up to your standard. I love writing James; he comes very easily to me. Well read on, and don't hate me too much. This chapter has necessary evils that are for the sake of the plot.

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Chapter 9

_James Potter_

"JAMES!"

Jolting awake, I rolled over and fell out of my bed when I heard the scream.

"Wha- wuzzgoinon? Dementors?" I tried to make a grab for my wand but ended up falling over again.

"No, not Dementors you moron! Look at the Prophet! Wait, why aren't you up yet? Lessons start in twenty minutes." Alice's chirping voice called at me from my door to the bathroom.

Reaching up for my glasses, I slipped them on my face and glared at her.

"I have a couple free periods today, remember?" Obviously, my glare did not faze her, as she walked into my room and sat at my desk.

"That's right, must have slipped my mind." The look on her face let me know that it hadn't.

"Did you have a reason to be here, or was your point to wake me up during my one morning free of lessons?" I stood and magic-ed my sheets and things back on the bed, and watched as they made themselves.

"Yes, actually I did, though it was a plus to wake you up. Look at the Prophet today." She held out the paper, and I walked over and took it from her hand.

The front page held a picture of my dad, Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione. They were standing in front of some new statue that had been commissioned at the St. Mungo's. They were smiling, I watched as dad leaned over to whisper something into Aunt 'Mione's ear and then she laughs aloud, tell is to Uncle Ron, and he throws his head back in laughter. The headline read "Golden Trio, Together Again and Always."

I looked up at Alice, one eyebrow raised, a trick I had learned from my Uncle George. She was perusing the papers on my disorganized desk, trying to make sense of the essays, letters, Quidditch plans, Head duties, and spare bits of parchment that had run amuck in the week we had been at school.

"What is so special about my dad being in the paper… again? I really don't understand-"

"Can you read, or do you only look at the pictures?" She snatched the paper from my hand, and read to me.

"Harry Potter, with Ron and Hermione Weasley, announced the new addition to St. Mungo's Hospital yesterday morning, dedicating it to everyone who was lost in both wizarding wars against Voldemort. Along with the new addition, they announced the 25 Year Commemorative Ball to take place at Hogwarts this coming May. More information to come from the Minister later on this month."

While she read to me, I had crossed to my dresser, and started to dig for a clean uniform. Not having any luck, I was digging in my hamper, opting for a semi-clean uniform instead. I glanced up at her from the floor.

"What is your point?" I was truly lost.

She groaned, tossed the paper on my desk, and crossed to the bathroom door. "The ball, James. That is my point." She slammed the door behind her, always one to make an exit.

I heard her door to the bathroom slam, her bedroom door slam, and then a few seconds later, the portrait slam.

"What got her wand in a twist?" I murmured to myself.

After my morning of catch-up- catch up on essays, Quidditch, Head stuff, letters to mum, basically everything that was covering my desk this morning- I took off for the Great Hall for lunch.

"Jamsie! Dear cousin, where have you been all morning? And what did you do to piss off Ali this time?" I turned and stopped, waiting for Fred to catch me.

I shook my head at him. "Well, dear Fredward, I had a free morning. Quite nice, too. Except for being woken up by Alice at 7:40 this morning, which was not nice. I'm not sure what I've done to piss her off, all I can say is, I hope she gets out of her mood before Potions."

We hopped on the stairs just before they took off, and waited to be down to the second floor. Fred laughed at me. "Well, all _I_ can say is she's already given five kids detention, taken about 30 points from each house, and threatened to hex my bits off at least a dozen times. Since you were the first one to see her today, I figured that you would have been the one to put her in this mood. So what did you do? Is your pillow talk that bad?" He waggled his eyebrows at me.

"Fuck off, Fred." If only he knew.

The only thing I have ever kept from Fred is my fucked up relationship with Alice. Sure, he knows us as best friends, but I've never told him about our… indiscretions over the past year.

"Hmm, touchy, touchy. Hit the nail on the head, have I?" We were coming down the main staircase, with me just ahead of Fred. I spun around to whack him, but bumped into someone behind me.

"Oh Merlin, I'm sorry…" I turned to see who I ran into, then froze.

Not only did I freeze, but also time froze, everything around me froze. There was nothing in the world except for me, and that pair of deep chocolate brown eyes.

"…and continuing up these stairs- ah it's our Head Boy himself. James? Could you spare a minute?" McGonagall crisp voice broke through my spell.

"Hmm, what? Oh yes, yes of course." Fred gave me a solid slap on the shoulder, and then continued down the stairs. Once he was behind McGonagall, he started making rude gestures, and vulgar movements, gesticulating at the girl, and then at me.

"5 points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley." Fred's mouth dropped open. McGonagall just sighed, "You'd think after almost seven years of schooling they would learn. They never do."

I was laughing at Fred's retreating form, and then spun to McGonagall. "What can I do for you today, dear Minny?"

Her brow furrowed. "Do not push your luck, Mister Potter. I would like to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. They have just recently moved here from America. Mr. Taylor was the Head of the American Ministry's Auror Department. He is now working directly with your father to try to create a bond between the countries Departments. This is their daughter Alexandra. Up until their move, she was studying at America's Wizarding School, AppleTree Academy. They are considering sending her here, to finish her education."

After many years of ignoring my mum, I had mastered the art of nodding. I was too distracted to listen. This goddess of beauty before me was too much for my mind to take. Her heart-shaped face was so lovely I couldn't think straight. Her bow lips were a perfect pink, her cheeks a light tan, but smooth silk. However, her eyes, oh her eyes, they were captivating. Deep, dark and rich chocolate pools of incandescent beauty. With rich brunette locks falling over her shoulders, she was the epitome of beauty, grace, elegance.

I had always scoffed at the idea of love at first sight. Now I was a firm believer. I was already in love and I only knew her name.

I blinked a few times, knowing first impressions are everything. I put on the Potter charm and smiled at Mr. and Mrs. Taylor.

"Well, welcome to Scotland, then." They chuckled, as I knew they would. Parents are so easily predictable. I shook Mr. Taylor's hand and pressed a kiss to Mrs. Taylor's. "If there is anything I can do to convince you to send your…" I sent a glance at Alexandra. "…lovely daughter to Hogwarts, let me know. I know I can speak for everyone in saying we would be delighted to have her."

Mr. Taylor grinned a small grin, with a subtle glint in his eye. "Your father told me you were a charmer. I didn't believe him until right now. Yes, boy, you are your father's son."

It was a compliment I didn't get often, but was always nice to hear. Most didn't believe me when I say I'm Harry Potter's son, they just nod, since I don't look like mum or dad, just a mix of both. They don't believe, that is, until Albus or Lily come running up to me, telling me that dad says we have to go. Then of course they slide right up next to me, claiming they were only teasing, of course they knew I was his son.

"Thank you, sir. I strive to live up to the Potter name." I saw McGonagall slip a small smile into a light cough. At least the old bat could still laugh.

"Yes, well, thank you Mister Potter. I'm sure you have a lesson to be at, or a Head Girl to go calm down." I looked to McGonagall, did she know everything? "Please make sure Alice knows that just because she is in a mood, it does not give her the right to torment the younger students."

I nodded. "I will be sure to inform her. Very nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, Alexandra. See you around Minny." I turned and finished my descent of the stairs.

"Oh, and James!" I turned to take one last glance at McGonagall, raising one eyebrow. "Whatever prank you are planning to pull on the Slytherin's at their upcoming Quidditch trials, rethink it."

How could she have known... what kind of question is that. Minny always knows.

I shrugged, "I have no idea what on earth you could be talking about. I am the Head Boy after all. No pranks here."

Their laughter echoed behind me as I made my way down to the dungeons for potions.

I slipped into class a few minutes late. Aston glanced up and said "Well, thank you for joining us Mister Potter. Pressing matters kept you?"

I nodded at him. Pompous git. "Yes, I was with Professor McGonagall for Head duties."

Alice glared at me from our desk in the middle of the room. I walked over and took my seat next to her. Aston continued with his lesson about some useless house-cleaning potion.

"Where were you?" She was hissing. Hissing was not good.

"With McGonagall, honest."

"It wasn't about head duties, or she would have come to me. You've been a practically useless Head Boy so far." Fred was right; she _was _in a mood.

"There's this family that just moved here from America, and their daughter is a prospective student. I had to shake some hands. Look, he's working with my dad; I couldn't just blow them off and make my family look bad. My dad would murder me."

She scoffed and shook her head. Her lips were pursed and her whole demeanor screamed 'back off James, before I hex you into pieces and then ship said pieces to your mother so she can scatter them wherever she so chooses.'

"Don't you think you are being a tad hostile?" Her silent, smoldering glare made me turn in my seat and pay attention to the lesson.

"We'll talk later then."

* * *

The rest of the day was a dull blur of lessons. Four more essays assigned, and a test set for next Herbology. Was every Longbottom in a mood today?

Anne, Fred and I were walking into the castle for dinner together. Herbology had been hell, but sweet little Head Girl skipped out half way through, complaining of a headache. It was more likely she just didn't want to work with me for another hour and a half.

We entered the doors and I ran smack into someone for the second time today.

"Are we going to make a habit of meeting like this?"

Alexandra's face came into focus. She was smiling, showing off two rows of straight, pearly whites.

"Alexandra! Hey! How did the rest of your day go? How'd you like the school?" Fred and Anne watched from the side, shooting each other glances only Weasley twins could understand.

"It was good. I love the castle, a lot. It's… incredible. We don't have anything like this back in the States, just lots of land." She was mesmerizing.

"Oh, really? How much?"

"Over two hundred acres, I think it was closer to three hundred than two. We have three Quidditch pitches and four different pods for Green Houses. The living quarters are much smaller though. It was not nearly as grand. And I am being incredibly rude, I'm Alexandra Taylor. My father just started working with James' at the ministry." She held out her hand to Fred and Anne.

"Oh sorry, this is Fred Weasley and his twin Roxanne. They're both seventh year Gryffindors, like me."

She smiled that perfect smile again. "Nice to meet you both."

Fred beamed, obviously struck by her smile as well. Anne smiled quaintly, but there was a crease between her eyebrows that only meant one thing. She didn't like her. What Anne thought didn't really matter.

I was in love. Truly, deeply in love. She was perfect. Beautiful. Stunning. Startling. Striking. Dazzling. Alluring-

"James! James!" I knew that voice, that wasn't a soft American accent. That was a lilting English accent. The only person who's opinion really mattered, about anything. I knew she would love Alexandra. She had to.

"Alice! Meet Alexandra Taylor, she's a transfer from AppleTree in America. Alexandra, this is my best friend Alice Longbottom. Her father teaches Herbology here at Hogwarts."

Alice threw a withering smile at Alexandra. "Nice to meet you. James, we had a Prefects meeting five minutes ago. We need to go, now! See you around, I guess, Alexis, was it?"

Alexandra's smile faltered slightly, "Alexandra, actually."

"Sorry. Fred, you mind taking care of her? James and I have somewhere to be." Alice's voice was cold, and demanding. She was still pissed.

"Not at all, Ali dear. Alexandra, have you eaten yet? I would love to show you the Great Hall at meal time, it's extraordinary." He slipped one arm around her shoulder and pulled her to the doors. Anne followed, with one look over her shoulder at us.

As Fred walked through the door, he turned, waggled his eyebrows, and twirled an imaginary mustache. I lunged at him, but he was already through the door.

"James, we need to go. The prefects will be waiting." Alice was already halfway up the stairs.

I stared longingly at the door to the Great Hall. "James, you can drool over that twit another time. She goes to school here now."

She was right of course, Alice was always right. Thank god, I had her around.

I would make her love Alexandra, as I already did. If anyone could, it would be me. I stared after her retreating form. As my thoughts seemed to do recently, I slipped off thinking of one person.

Alice Longbottom

* * *

Please don't break out the torches and pitchforks quite yet, we are still very early in this story. Alexandra is a necessary character for James' growth as a human being and all that jazz. You will learn to love her…. Or just learn to accept that she will be around a while, like the rest of the school year. And if you don't hate me then that is even better. My little sister read this chapter and tried to beat me with a magazine…. Therefore, I am expecting that reaction from some of you.

I know it hasn't been that long since I updated the last chapter, but I only got a measly _two _review on it. I know you all can do better. Obviously, I don't update for a certain number of reviews, but I would like to maybe possibly hit like five for this chapter? Maybe… please? Oh and vote on the poll people, or else I will hold the relationships for way longer than I should.

Well since I got this chapter out, it might be a while before I update again. Not too long, but we don't have much of a summer left here and I plan to enjoy it as much as I can! Love you all, happy fanfic-ing!


	10. Chapter 10: Alice

So um... hi. That's all I really have to say. I kinda suck. It's been a really long time. I suck. Did I say that already? So here's the chapter.

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_Alice Longbottom_

How could anyone be so exhaustively irritating? I will never understand.

That slutty, skanky, whorish bitch who had stolen my guy, was out with him again. God I hated her. I hated her as much as any person could hate another. I hated James too. Anyone who couldn't see through her ridiculous front was an idiot in my eyes.

I threw another glass against the wall. It crushed and met the pile of other shattered glasses and jars of perfume and creams.

In the past month I had taken up my own form of therapy. Ever since Alex had started Hogwarts, I wanted to smash every part of her perfect little face. So I had taken to smashing glasses instead.

Within twenty minutes of Alex's official move in, she and James were the Golden Couple of Hogwarts, bumping a sweet, but dull sixth year Hufflepuff couple down to second place.

So whenever I felt like breaking Alex's face, I broke a glass instead.

I really needed to run.

I opened up my door, and slipped through the bathroom into James' room. I grabbed the map from his bed, and them out the door down to our common room.

I checked if any teachers were prowling the hallways early. Even being Head Girl, we were supposed to follow some semblance of a curfew.

I moved my way down to the grounds and then to the edge of the forest. I shot one glance over my shoulder to check the grounds again. I let myself walk into the tree line, and then deposited my wand and the map into a hidden hole in a tree.

Letting my body go, I felt the light shimmer and moved down into animal form. Weaker human muscles became the muscles of a strong, elongated animal.

Running in the forest was the best stress reliever on the planet. Feeling the wind ripple around you, watching as the leaves changed from the colors of dusk to night, listening to the sounds of the creatures roaming free, it's an exhilarating experience.

I ended my run, and slipped back into my human form. Grabbing my wand, I swished the map open. Everyone important was in their common rooms, or making their prefect rounds. Except, of course, for the perfect, wonderful, magnificent Golden Couple of Hogwarts; they were nowhere to be found. Slipping around the castle, beneath Gryffindor Tower, I looked up. I could just barely see my balcony, hidden by a glimmering charm. I wingardium leviosa-ed myself up to my balcony, and slipped into my room. I waved my wand to clean up the mess I had made during my throwing fit earlier that day.

I walked into our joint bathroom and threw my clothes off. I pointed my wand at James' door so it would shut, and stay shut. My room always had an imperturbable charm on the door ever since an incident during the summer before fourth year. James and Fred thought it would be a good idea to try and wake me using a water balloon and peach marmalade. It didn't go well for them.

I stood in the scalding shower for what seemed like hours. The past month had literally been hell. Not even figuratively. I felt like I was living through Dante's Inferno. I had passed through every layer of that journey through Lucifer's lair. The first few hours felt like purgatory. I didn't think it had been real, and so the pain didn't set in.

Then came lust. My desire for James was never stronger than in those early days of their relationship. It probably came from wanting something I couldn't have. Next came gluttony. I sat in the kitchens for hours one night with Anne, bawling my eyes out and stuffing my face full of whatever the elves pushed in front of me. Then came greed, anger, heresy, violence, and fraud. Most would assume it would be hard to commit all of these crimes surrounding one relationship, but I assure you, it is very possible.

Now, I am standing here in treachery. I had been dragged through every burning, smoldering, painful layer and now I have nothing left to lose. They say you should stay with the devil you know after all, and I was now standing next to the devil in his cold, desperate prison.

"Alice! Open the door!" James was banging on his door to the bathroom, having discovered my spell work. Slipping out of the shower, I grabbed one of the fluffy towels, and wrapped myself in it. I secured it with magic, and then I took the charm off the door.

"How was your date?" I tried to sound nonchalant and failed miserably. Luckily Romeo was too distracted to notice my tone. Glancing in the mirror, I saw him sitting in the tub, fully clothed, eyes closed, with a slight smile on his face.

"Perfect. Alex is the most wonderful girl I've ever had the chance of meeting. Next to you, of course."

"Of course."

"She's beautiful, smart, funny. She can fly better than almost anyone I've ever met. She's also a damn good kis-"

"I don't really need to hear about her kissing skills, James. And I doubt she flies as well as your mum, or Lily, or Rose." _Or me_, I thought.

"Well, maybe not as well as all of you, but she's really excellent. Last week when we were out on the pitch…"

After that I stopped listening. I couldn't understand how James actually thought I cared about what Alex did, said, thought, or felt. Maybe my absolute loathing of her was only obvious to every other person in the world. I washed my face and rolled my hair up as James continued to spout out useless facts about his Juliet. "…you know that in America, they actually have real field training for Defense Against the Dark Arts? They go out into the wilderness and…" I was slathering on my lotion when something he said stuck.

"Wait, did you just say you offered her a spot on the team? We don't have an open spot on the team. Tryouts were two weeks ago." I spun around to look at him.

He grinned at me from the tub. "I don't mean an actual spot. She'll be our reserve. She can play every position. In America they have a class where they play Quidditch, and other sports too. She's really good at Quodpot too, but she prefers Quidditch."

I shook my head at him. "James, she can't play reserve. We already have a reserve team, a whole team on back up. We can't kick any of them out, it wouldn't be fair. They train just as hard as everyone else."

"Can't she just practice with us? Then you'll see how incredible she is and you'll want her on the team!" He was whining now. I don't know when he got it into his head that whining would help him win arguments, but it was firmly planted there now.

"No James. We can't that wouldn't be fair to anyone on the team. She can fly with us if she wants but-"

"Really? Oh that's great. I knew you'd say yes!"

"No, James. I'm saying she can fly with us. But that's it. If one ball touches her hand, you will pay dearly." I tried to use my most intimidating voice, but I'm sure it didn't match my towel-clad body and pin-rolled hair.

"You are so dramatic Ally." He shrugged his shoulders and slid deeper into the bathtub, out of my line of vision.

"I'm not kidding Jamie. I'm going to bed. I'll see you tomorrow. Remember, we have Head stuff to do."

I got a muffled "mmphh" from the tub, and accepted that as confirmation. I slipped into my room and into my bed. I let my mind slowly drift away, and my eyes closed.

* * *

Sitting up the next morning, I looked out onto my balcony. The sun was just cresting over the mountains, shimmering over the lake, making the water glisten like diamonds.

I summoned my favorite silk robe, and padded over to my boudoir. Ever graceful as always, I ran into it in my early waking state. I sat down in the chair, and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I waved my wand to unravel my hair. Luckily all the strands fell out smoothly and evenly down my neck. Spraying a bit of staying spray on them, they bounced into perfect shiny coils. I shot a glamour charm at my face, making it look fresh and dewy. I shot a lengthening charm at my eyelashes along with a darkening spell. They instantly got longer and darker. The beauty charms my mum taught me were some of my favorite.

I looked at the pictures Spellotaped up on the edges of my mirror. A picture of my dad and me at my first Quidditch game when I was three; my mum putting lipstick on me when I was about five. The four Marauders getting on the train for first year, and getting off. We all looked so nervous getting on, but the glimmer of excitement was there in our eyes. Getting off the train, we looked like we always look in pictures. Mischievous, and happy.

There as one from my dad's and Uncle Harry's birthdays a few years ago, when we traveled as a big family to Italy, ones from the Quidditch Cup win in third year, the Halloween Ball in fifth, the Yule Ball in sixth, and then two from over the summer.

One was of me and James, walking in Diagon Alley. He was holding my bags, as I pointed to another store I wanted to pop in. I grabbed his free hand, and tugged. He tugged me back, and I stuck my tongue out at him. He just grinned. We hadn't know we were getting our picture taken. The other was right after we had gotten our Hogwarts letters for our final year. Ginny had pulled us all into the sitting room at the Burrow, while Grandmum Molly cried in the kitchen, and snapped our picture. James was spinning me round and round in a sloppy waltz, Fred was spinning himself in his own private ballet, Anne as yelling at us to just hold still so we could 'take the damn thing.' It was a perfect example of us and our dynamic. Well, 'us' before everything changed.

Now James is a love sick fool, Fred is a moody tosser, Anne is acting incredibly timid and depressed and me, well, I'm a bigger bitch ever been.

* * *

"Oh Ally! Open the door pet! I know you are up!"

I looked at the clock on my desk. It was ten-thirty. I had worked on the plans for the Halloween Ball all through the morning. I figured I could throw her a bone. I waved my wand at the door, and Anne bounded in.

"Good morning doll. How was your evening? I heard James wants to add Perfect to the team."

I grimaced. "We are not talking about that right now. I have had it up to here with his asinine ideas and plans having to do with that witch." I held my hand above my head to demonstrate how done I truly was.

"Well, do you want to do something that will take your mind off of Stupid One and Two?"

"What do you have in mind?" Anne usually had the best plans, but they usually involved something illegal, or stupid, or school rules breaking, or all three.

"My dad is in town, at the Hogsmeade branch. Wanna go and test out new products?"

"Give me five minutes to change."

* * *

A few hours later, we snuck back into the castle. We had almost made it back to the Gryffindor Common room without being seen, when James rounded the corner.

"Alice! Where have you been? I've been looking for you for almost an hour!"

"Why? I figured you would be preoccupied with Alex." I had turned her name into a curse word, and I liked the way it felt in my mouth.

"Yes, because I am the one who blows off plans with their fellow Head to go mess around with my bird."

Oh shit. We had had plans. I had completely forgotten. "James I'm sorry. I forgot."

"Glad I wasted my afternoon while you were out with this one, doing Merlin knows what." He turned in a huff, headed into the common room. I followed him, my apologetic feelings gone.

"Hold on, you think that you wasted your afternoon? I have been working my arse off every night, on everything but schoolwork mind you, so that all of our head duties will be done! When was the last time you put together a patrol schedule, or monitored a detention? Before your girlfriend got in the way!"

"Don't bring her into this!"

The common room got quiet very quickly, and then people started to slip out the door, or up the stairs. James and I hardly ever fought, but when we did, it was explosive. Literally. The only people who remained were the people who were stupid enough to think they could calm us down, our family.

"Why not? She's the reason you've been so distracted lately! She's the reason you can't seem to ever get any work done. She's the reason you are slipping up in all of your duties. All you can think of is her, and her, and nothing but her. She's practically bursting out of you James. I'm not the only one who feels this way. I'm just the only one brave enough to say it."

He spun around to face our family. "Is that true? No one can be bloody happy for me? All everyone cares about is how James is slipping up, huh? Well that's too bloody bad, because I am desperately in love with that girl, and nothing you lot say can change that."

He turned on his heel, and tore out of the room faster than a seeker after a snitch. Everyone let out one giant breath as the door slammed behind him.

* * *

Later that evening, I walked down to the Green Houses. The smell of soil, strange flowers and hot sticky humid air was comforting to her. It was the smells of her childhood. Her dad always smelled like some kind of plant that she had never been able to pin down. His hands were always stained by potting soil, and she loved the way he tottered around the plants, tending to them like his children.

I found him reading to the recently potted mandrakes in Green House 2. I snuck up behind him as slowly as I could. He didn't seem to notice me, but he was a highly skilled Auror trainee. I took a running leap and landed on his back.

"Oomph! Didn't expect that one, now, did I?" He chuckled as I slid down his back.

"If I was a Death Eater…" I teased.

"Yes, darling, and what a scary one you would make. Would you like some tea? I got some in the post this morning."

We walked to his tiny office behind the greenhouses. We sat down at his table as he poured two mugs. I sipped mine and then spit it back into the cup.

"Blech. Who sent this to you?" It was one of the most awful things I had ever tasted.

"Aunt Luna. Why, is it bad?" He sipped it. "It tastes fine to me."

"Dad, you aren't dating her anymore. You don't have to pretend to like her tea." The tips of his ears turned a sweet pink color.

"I'm not pretending. I do like it."

"Sure you do, Dad."

"So, how is everything? School going well and all?" I nodded while dumping the entire contents of the sugar bowl in my cup, quickly following with the milk. "And Quidditch is going well? I need my team to be in tip-top shape this year. We've won the cup so many times; I forget what it's like to lose."

I grinned at him. "Yes. Same team as the past few years, with a really strong reserve this year. But Stupid Head wants to change it."

"Why?"

"He wants precious little Alex to play. We don't have a spot for her and I'm not letting him kick anyone else off. I am technically co-captain. He can't do anything regarding the team without asking me first, but he's gone and told her that she can play."

"Well you could always use an extra on the reserve team."

I shot him a glare I learned from my mother. "No, because then, if and when someone gets hurt he'll pull her in rather than someone who actually tried out and made it. He's not exactly thinking straight right now."

He looked at me with those wide eyes that all dads seem to have. You know the ones that stare into your soul? Yeah, those ones.

"Is James doing something wrong?" His tone was the sweetest thing I had ever heard. It was the perfect combination of alarm and protection.

"If getting a new girlfriend and blowing everyone and everything else off is doing something wrong, then yes. He is doing something very, very wrong."

"Oh Alice, he's just being a boy. Let him have his fun. It's probably not serious."

At that little sentence, 'it's probably not serious'; I felt my heart crack a little bit. Because after our fight, James had proven that it was serious. He loved her, but more than that, he was _in love_ with her. Desperately so. I felt tears well in my eyes. I blinked quickly to try and send them back to the useless organ that was my heart.

"No, it is. He's in love with her. Doesn't get more serious than that. It doesn't matter anyway. If I have any more problems, I'll just go to McGonagall, or write to Ginny. I'm not sure which would be worse."

He reached over and cupped my face with his hand. "That's my girl. That's my Lissy Doll."

I grinned at him, but I felt the tickle in the back of my throat from the tears. I leant over the table to hug my dad. He really was the perfect father. "I love you Daddy."

"I love you too, Doll." He pulled back and looked me in the eyes, searching for something. I didn't know what. "Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"Never." Always. Half the things that happen in my head, my father can never know.

"Alright Lissy. Well you should probably head on back. It's almost curfew. Oh, I forgot to tell you, your mother is coming in from Hogsmeade for dinner on Wednesday night. Cancel your plans."

"Alright, I will. Night, Daddy."

"Goodnight Lissy."

* * *

I almost made it all the way to my room without running into anyone I didn't want to see. I was slowly walking around a statue of armor somewhere on the third floor, when I heard giggling.

I glanced down at my watch. It was past curfew. Everyone should be in their rooms, and all the prefects patrolling tonight wouldn't start for another few minutes. I walked down the corridor a little farther when I saw a door to an empty classroom slightly ajar. I stuck my head in the door and faced the worst sight my eyes had ever fallen on.

James and Alex were snogging passionately against the desk. Her legs were wrapped around his waist, and he was holding her tightly. He pulled his lips off of hers and pressed slow, sweet kisses to her neck. She let out small gasps and giggles when his lips touched her skin.

I backed out of the room quietly. I slunk away down the corridor, and rounded the corner. I slipped behind a statue that was concealing a hidden alcove. I sank down the wall into a tiny ball, and let the tears fall.

Sobs wracked through my body. I think it was actually seeing them together that did me in. Within the month that they were dating, I had seen them together maybe half a dozen times. I had a perfect system for avoiding Jalex- the rumor mill's couple name for them. At meal times I went down to the kitchens or into my father's rooms. I studied in my room, or at my secluded table in the back of the restricted section of the library. And when it was inevitable, I looked the other way, and payed not one ounce of attention to them.

So now, after a month of perfect avoidance, I was hit full blast. Karma's a bitch.

I couldn't tell if it had been a few minutes or a few hours when I sat up. I pulled out the small mirror I kept in the back pocket of my jeans. My face looked a mess. I shot several glamour charms at myself and the puffiness went away, but it couldn't diminish the red nose, or watery eyes.

Poking my head out into the corridor, I shot a tentative glance towards the left of the corridor, and then the right. Even the Head Girl had a curfew, after all. I took off down the corridor headed for my room.

After making it back to the tower, I was heading up the stairs to my room. I was having fantasies about my warm, comfy cloud of a bed. I was almost all the way up the stairs; hand on my doorknob when I heard the portrait door slam. I cringed, and glanced over my shoulder.

He was leaning against the door, staring straight back at me. I spun around and tried to head into my room.

"Alice, can we talk." His voice was hoarse.

"I figured you wouldn't have anything else to say." I stayed facing the door, hoping he would let it drop.

"How can you say that? Of course I have things to say."

I spun around, looking towards the portrait. He had moved to the bottom of the stairs. He was looking up at me with sad eyes.

"James, I… I'm sorry for the delivery. But I refuse to apologize for the content. I can't stand the way you've been acting, and you've only been acting this was since Alex came to this school. It's ridiculous. You've never acted like this before."

"I've never been in love like this before. I don't know how to act any differently."

"James, you do know how. Just act like you've always acted with a girl."

"Cold and distant? I couldn't do that if I tried. She makes me better, Alice. She makes me feel warm. The way that dad says mum makes him feel."

How could I argue with that? How could I hate him? He was in love. He was in love with someone other than me. Oh wait, I could hate him again.

"Goodnight, James."

I was headed to my last period on Monday afternoon, I bumped into Albus. He was going down, while I was headed up. He looked like he was having a bad day and what were pseudo sisters for, but to make a bad day worse.

"Hey look, it's the Harry Potter lookalike. Quick get your cameras."

"Shut up Alice. I hate you." He shot back quickly.

"Touchy, touchy. Looks like someone's had a bad day." He glared at me. "Fine, whatever. Be like that. Where are you headed?"

"I'm done for the day, so back to the common room for study time. I'm also looking for Adelle, if you've seen her."

His eyes were so sad, but they kind of sparkled when he said her name. "Sorry, can't say I have. Last time I saw her was a few days ago. If I see her I'll tell her you're looking for her."

"Thanks." He slunk away down the stairs and then down into the dungeons. That poor guy.

_Albus Potter._

* * *

So yeah. That's the chapter, I hope you liked it. I don't really have anything to say here except for sorry. Life got in the way. I'm sorry. I'll try so much harder to get out the next chapter within some reasonable time frame. Oh, I also edited this while watching SNL with my family so I doubt it's very well pulled together. If you see any mistakes forgive me! Daniel Radcliffe is just too darn attractive to miss one minute of him. Review, my darlings!


	11. Chapter 11: Albus

Hey guys! Here's the next chapter, just in time for my birthday tomorrow! I figure if I put it out today, then your reviews will be like a birthday present! Hope you like it.

* * *

_Chapter 11_

_Albus_

Walking away from Alice, I shrugged off her stare. Turning around another corner, I spun and punched the stone wall. I felt the anger start to seep out of my body as the pain throbbed in my hand. All day I had tried to slip a word in with Ellie and she managed to slip away from me every time. We had been walking through the library and somehow she had disappeared within the enclosed room. I even went and sat at the door for hours waiting for her to try and sneak out.

Storming down past the Hufflepuff common room, I blasted past a group of first years who were milling about right outside of the kitchen entrance. They scattered and dove for the stairway, scared of the angry 6th year with the bleeding hand. When they were gone, I doubled back and tickled the green pear in the painting and grasped the handle. I pulled open the door and entered into the warmth of the kitchen.

The house elves swarmed around me, all wearing various articles of clothing. Ill made socks, hats, jumpers and shoes hung off of their tiny bodies- all my Aunt Hermione's doing.

They spoke at me, in different levels of excitement. "Mr. Potter! Mr. Potter! So good to see you! What can we get you? How can we help you! Do you like our new hats? Your Aunt sent them! Mr. Potter!"

I won't lie; it is good to feel appreciated, even if it is from the elves.

My favorite elf, though I would never admit it, stepped forward. "Mr. Potter, how can Mirey help you today?" She was on the small side, with huge eyes, even for an elf. She wore a simple yellow jumper and an oversized purple hat.

"Surprise me." The elves grinned and scurried off back into the hustle of the kitchen.

I walked over to the booths set up in the corner and slid myself into one. I had never asked James or Fred where the booths had come from, all I know is when I left after second year they weren't there and the first time I came down third year they were.

One of the elves carried over a rag and some dittany. She wiped the blood off of my hand and then dropped a few little splashes of dittany on the cuts. I watched as they healed themselves. "Thanks." She nodded and scurried away.

Mirey carried over several bowls filled with all kinds of food, bowls of all kinds of comfort foods and several pitchers of different kinds of drinks. I scooped piles of mash and carrots and peas onto my plate. I sliced myself a huge piece of Sheppard's pie onto my plate and dug in. While I was pouring myself a goblet of pumpkin juice, I heard the portrait door swing open. Looking up, I saw James and Fred sauntering in.

The elves swarmed around them, exclaiming the same things they did to me. They indulged them for a few seconds and made their way over to me.

They slid into the booth and two more goblets, plates and sets of silver appeared. They heaped their plates high and dug in to my meal.

"Hello little brother, how are you this fine day?" James' 'look at how happy I am with my girlfriend' act was really getting old.

I shoved a huge forkful into my mouth and just stared at him.

Fred raised one eyebrow at me and shot out, "You should watch those manners, Al. You'll never get your little girlfriend back with table skills like that." I tried to swallow, but ended up choking.

"Wh- what? What are you talking about?" I was sputtering.

"Why, Elle of course! It was quite obvious when the two of you stopped shagging. You got all brooding and angry, and she started wearing make-up and doing her hair every day." James had a smirk the size of Europe on his face.

I stared at the two of them. "How did- when did-"

James chuckled. "Oh please Albus. Of course we knew. In the immortal words of Dumbledore 'it is a secret, so naturally the whole school knows' or whatever he said to dad after the stone incident."

That's perfect. Blood, fucking perfect. Superb, really. The whole point of us having our secret rendezvous was just that, they were _secret_. If the whole school knew then the point of our fight was… well there wasn't really a point. But if I told her that, then she would win. And she can't win, not after the million other times she's won.

"Well… whatever. She can take me or leave me. I couldn't care less." Nonchalance was the best way to handle this new information. Nonchalance is key.

"Sure little lookalike. You keep telling yourself that." I glared at Fred.

"Why are you two down here anyways? Is it 'Annoy Albus' day already?"

"No. It's man night. We come down here and stuff our faces and talk about manly things." James puffed out his chest and Fred put his hands on his hips, trying to look like that muggle superhero.

"Gossiping about my love life is manly then, eh?" I shot them a cheeky grin. Cackling with laughter, they shook their heads.

"No, just a little side tracked. We usually talk about Quidditch, but since you are down here, we'll hold off."

"No, please go right on ahead. It wouldn't bother me in the slightest." I could see my Cheshire cat grin reflecting in their disdainful stares.

"Sure, like we'd tell the enemy about something as important as Quidditch." Fred rolled his eyes at James.

"It's not like he's smart enough to actually figure out what we're talking about. We do speak in code."

"That's true. The names of our plays are top secret, after all."

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. "Oh please. We all respect the game too much to cheat."

James lifted his goblet. "I'll drink to that."

We hit our glasses together and took long gulps of our drinks. We all picked up our forks in silence, and shared in the happy silence that is eating.

* * *

We were all on our fourth Butterbeer and slowly eating through a bowl of Honeydukes finest candies when the girl talk came back.

"So James, where is Alex this fine evening?" Fred waggled his eyebrows as James shoved at him.

"She is studying in the library. The curriculum here is a little different, as you well know."

I thought I would get in on the mickey-tearing. "But isn't she just the most brilliant of brilliant girlfriends? How could she ever need to study? Doesn't she just know all?"

"All right, fuck off. Both of you. She is the 'most brilliant of brilliant' but she still needs to study like the rest of us."

"Is she getting help from anyone?"

"Well I asked Alice to help her, but she said no." He sounded so puzzled at that, it was comical. Fred snorted into his goblet and I laughed out loud. "What? What's funny?"

Fred looked at me, and I swept out my hand. "Go ahead."

"Let's think. Why would Alice, your_ best_ friend, not want to help Alex, your _girl_friend, with her studies?"

James looked perplexed. "Well… I mean she has been in a kind of mood since we've been here this year."

"Very good, James." I laughed as James threw Fred a withering look.

"I just thought it was probably stress, or something."

"No James."

"No?"

Fred and I both shook our heads. "No."

"Well I have no fucking idea then." He's really not as dumb as he seems. "I mean she's always uptight. I didn't realize how much different it was this year."

"Really? You didn't notice how many detentions she's given out? How many times she's lashed out for no reason? I still am supporting the theory that you did something. Something… big."

Fred had been pretending to have a "theory" that James had done something to set Alice off. James thought he meant like taking a homework assignment or something. Obviously it couldn't have something to do with-

"Alex says-"

"Oh what does Alex say?" This ought to be good.

"That she's stressed."

"Oh yes! That is it. She is just _stressed."_ Fred snorted and poured some more Butterbeer.

"Think about how many duties she has this year! Head Girl, Quidditch- which she co-captains, school! Tell me she's not running herself thin. Tell me I'm wrong Al."

I glanced over at Fred who was grinning into his goblet, and then back to my brother.

"I mean, yeah she's stretched thin but… she's never been this bad. It must be something else. Something you did."

James stood. "I hate you guys. I'm leaving."

"Ah James, you aren't leaving. It's guy night. You aren't running off to Alex quite yet." Fred pushed him back down.

"I wasn't running, just walking."

"Why don't we let him go Fred? He must be lonely without his balls." Fred chortled as James kicked me under the table.

"Hey that is not true!" James exclaimed.

"Jimmy boy, you are under the one thing man has been running from since the beginning of time. And that, dear cousin, is the whip!" Fred made a realistic whip noise and pretended to crack one.

"Once again, not true!"

I decided to weigh in. "James has always been whipped. First it was mum, then Anne, then Alice, and now Alex."

James picked up his goblet and swirled it around, like it was expensive Firewhiskey in a snifter. "I was never whipped with Alice."

"Sure you were… _ are _still probably-"

"If anything it was the other way around."

"Wait- what?" Fred and I both looked at him, wide-eyed.

"Never mind. Forget I said anything." James looked around, the kitchen, pretending to be distracted.

"Uh, no? Man, what are you talking about?"

James looked back at us with sad eyes. "You lot are sworn to secrecy about this." We both nodded. "Um… Alice and I slept together."

Fred dropped his goblet and it shattered on the floor.

We both screamed "WHAT?" James looked flustered and kind of embarrassed.

I sputtered out, "When- when did this… um did this happen?"

"Well the first time-"

"First time!"

"Let me explain!" James looked at the slight glares on both of our faces and continued. "The first time was last year, right after the Evensleigh incident, and then again last year at Christmas, and we hooked up at the New Year's Party, and then again at dad's birthday party over the summer. She kissed me the first night back this term but I swear that's it!"

As James explained about his illicit activities with Alice, Fred's eyes had grown darker and darker. I saw his body tense up, and his hands clench.

"That's all that's happened. Since I've met Alex, I've barely even thought if it. Plus it didn't mean anything. It was just sex."

At that comment, Fred's face looked like a thunder storm. "Just because it didn't mean anything to you, it doesn't mean that it didn't mean anything to her. You can't just blow those instances off like they never happened. She's a person too, with feelings. She's a good girl, a special girl James. Not someone to fuck when you're busy being a sloppy drunk at parties."

Fred stood up and stormed out of the kitchens, scattering the elves that were cleaning up the shattered goblet.

The portrait door slammed behind our enraged cousin and James turned to look at me. "What the bloody fuck was that about?" The look of deep confusion on James' face must have been echoed on mine.

"I have no idea."

* * *

Later in the common room, I watched Elle slip out the door, clearly not wanting to be followed. After my night with the boys, I was too tired to try and corner her anyways. I leaned down, and reached into Scorp's bag and pulled out the map.

I watched as Elle hurried up to the Gryffindor common room and slip inside. She went up to the sixth year girls' dorm and took a diving flop on Rose's bed, joining the group of girls who were already there. Alice, Rose, Lily, Anne, Lotte and all of the girls that filter into our little family.

Surprisingly, or not surprising at all, depending on how you look at it, Alex wasn't there. She was still in the library, studying.

Looking at the Head's dorm, I saw James was out on his balcony overlooking the lake.

And there was Fred, in the seventh year boys' dorm, pacing the room; the other boys were down in the common room lounging by the fire.

The girls' powwow was the only thing out of the ordinary. I knew they were friends, but all of them together in one room at one time always meant trouble.

At one party before fourth year, they all had a little "meeting" and then forty-five minutes later we were all ambushed with flying permanent paint bombs. I was pink for weeks.

Watching them move around in the small little dorm, my eye was consistently drawn back to one dot.

Adelle Madison.

* * *

Alright. There you go. It's a little short, but I got everything needed out before I felt it was long enough. I tried to stretch it out, but it only gained about three hundred words. Oh well. I know I always say the chapter should be out soon, but the next one should be.

Happy FanFic-ing darlings!

Ali


	12. Chapter 12: Adelle

Chapter 12

_Adelle Madison_

"I hate her. I fucking hate her so much." Alice was pacing and then she stopped, picked up a glass and threw it at the wall.

We all murmured our agreement as I walked into the sixth year Gryffindor girl's dormitory. I flopped down on Rose's bed and stuck my head into her pillow. We were all gathered to try to decide what to do about our current situation. The situation being Alex.

"We all hate her Ali. She's the bane of our existence." The sarcasm in Anne's voice was clear to everyone, well everyone but Alice. Anne was lounging against the base of a bed and was tossing an ancient Remembrall in the air and catching it again.

"But mostly mine." Alice spun and grabbed the ball out of mid-air, above Anne's head. "Stop tossing this around. It was my dad's."

"Alice, we are well aware that she ruined your plan for a perfect seventh year, but there is no reason to be snippy." Lotte's quiet voice rang from across the room in the bathroom, where she was sitting on the counter next to Rose. Alice turned to glare at her.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, for sassing the Head Girl."

Rose laughed and came back with a quick "Oh please Alice. Ten points to Gryffindor for being the best friend a girl could have."

The girls were slathering some new WWW product on Rose's hair. As they finished Lotte pulled out her wand and waved a little charm over Rose's hair. When she tapped her wand to the crown of Rose's wavy hair, became so shiny it was almost glowing.

Alice glowered in at them "Fifteen point-"

"Alice you do not want to start this today. Let's remember who the real enemy is." Lily's voice piped up from the middle of the room, where she was sitting on the floor in front of the fire.

The Head Girl resumed her pacing. "Right. Alex. We all hate Alex."

"That's right. We do. So what are we going to do about it?" Rose sauntered out of the bathroom, wiping her hands on a hand towel. As she tossed it in the air, and Lotte waved her wand and the towel formed itself into a bird and fluttered toward the hamper.

"Alright you lot, what are we gonna do about the bitch in our midst?" Alice's question was pointed and sharp.

"I think we should push her off the Quidditch stands. That would solve the problem."

"I think we should try to avoid causing her bodily harm, Lotte."

"Just a suggestion."

"Well I liked it."

"We know Alice. You would do anything that involves injury."

"Shut up Anne." Laughter rang up from the group scattered about the room.

"How about a real suggestion for once? Anyone?" Rose was always the one who got us on some semblance of a track.

"Well, Rose, why not just-"

It was, of course, at this moment that Alex walked into the room. Her hair tied into a knot on her head and she was wearing a sloppy jumper and skinny jeans. Her bag was on her shoulder, and she had a stack of books in her arms. To add to the casual-studious look she had a pair of glasses carelessly thrown on top of her head. She honestly could not have looked more perfect, which of course made the situation that much worse.

"Oh- I didn't realize you all would be here." She tiptoed over a couple of pairs of legs and then dropped her bag next to her bed, which we had all carefully avoided. "So what were you all talking about?"

Alice pursed her lips and very coolly said, "Quidditch. Not that you would know much about the European teams, seeing as you grew up in the States." She spit out 'States' as if they were the bane of her existence; which was funny because I thought she had always wanted to visit the States.

"Oh, actually I loved European Quidditch growing up. I know most people in the States keep up with Quodpot, but my parents met here at the 1994 World Cup and they've been together ever since. It kind of strings my family together, in a way." She smiled as she glanced over at a picture on her bedside table, which seemed absolutely posed but at the same time sweet.

Lily sighed and grinned, "Oh that's so wonderful." And as she said it every pair of eyes in the room turned to look at her. "What? It is."

Alice and Anne stood together. "Well we better shove off. We have lots of things to do tonight, and to plan for the Halloween Ball, plus we have N.E.W.T.s and a whole ton of other things. So goodnight." Alice was already half way out the door as Anne finished talking.

Lily and I glanced at each other, "Well I better head back down to the dungeon. It's almost curfew anyway."

Lily nodded, "Yeah I need to head to my dorm, I still have half an essay to write for Herbology and I can only use the 'Please Uncle Neville' like once a year and I think I'm going to save it until I desperately need it. So goodnight."

Rose and Lotte glare at us as we walk out of the dorm. Poor girls having to share a bedroom with Alex. Their other roommate didn't really spend much time in the dorm; all her four siblings were in Hufflepuff so it was surprising if she was even in the Tower. Lily and I walked down the stairs together, and parted at the base. I walked towards the portrait, waved at some friends and made my way down to the Dungeons.

* * *

The next week was a blur of class, and work, and avoiding Al at all cost. I had almost reached a point where I was feeling normal enough to be around him again.

The Halloween Ball was on Saturday and, once again, a masque ball. It was a masque every year, mostly because it would cost the school money to come up with another theme and pay for the decorations. In my experience, the masques come off about twenty minutes into dinner. Wearing them all night can be incredibly uncomfortable, especially the more elaborate ones. So it's just a ball, not really a masque at all. And this is the most formal of all the school thrown balls, so there's not going to be any popular bands playing, only the Wizarding Philharmonic. Which is nice, but still.

We usually went to this Ball as one big group, but since James has been with Alex, and Rose has started seeing Derring, and Lily has some little boyfriend, it has become a scramble to find someone to go with. Obviously if Albus would stop acting like the world's biggest prat I would be going with him. Our fight has been going on so long, it almost seems like we're just trying to out stubborn each other. But if anyone could beat him in a stubborn match, it would be me.

Now, it's Thursday night and I had completely forgotten about the Ball until a couple of hours ago, as I was walking back to the Dungeon from my last lesson and heard some Hufflepuff's giggling about it on my way down. I didn't even have a dress. I was hoping Scorp would have been as distracted as me and not found a date, but when I asked him, he told me he had asked some Ravenclaw girl like a week ago. I guess I could go stag with Lotte, but I'm pretty sure that she and Michael are going together.

When I ran into Alice by the Potions classroom and I asked her if she was going with anyone and she laughed bitterly and said "With one Head already shirking practically all of their duties, no I haven't had time to find a date. I've barely had time to find a dress."

I've flipped through a few things to try to find anything that I could overnight and have here by Saturday morning's mail delivery. I had borrowed them from some of the girls in my year, they were a mix of Muggle and Wizarding magazines, but nothing seemed right. I flopped my head into my pillow and groaned. "Maybe I just won't go at all." I muttered aloud.

"Aww don't say that Peach, I need you there." I flipped myself over and glared at Anne. She was wearing a fitted black blazer and a short plum dress. That was not an outfit you wore for lounging about on a Thursday night.

"What are you doing in here? Don't you need a password or something to get in?"

She grinned. "Of course you do. But blackmailing a cousin works too. C'mon, we're sneaking out."

I raised one eyebrow, a trick I had learned from this Weasley herself. "Who is 'we'?"

She strolled herself over to my trunk at the base of my bed and started poking around inside. "Me, you, Rose, Lotte, and Alice, she just doesn't know it yet. In case you haven't noticed, she's been struggling and needs a break." She tossed me a pair of jeans and a top that I hadn't gotten around to wearing yet. "So we're going dress shopping in London tonight. If you could see the thing she picked out in a hurry. It's atrocious. Hurry up and change. We've got to hurry before Uncle Neville starts his patrols."

I shimmied into the outfit she had picked for me, and slid on some shoes. I grabbed my coat and my muggle wallet from inside of my trunk and followed her out of the door. We walked through the common room, with as much nonchalance as we could muster, and we had almost made it out.

"Now where would you lovely ladies be off to? Neither of you are Prefects, so it can't be for patrols." Scorp and Al were lounging in armchairs by the fire.

"Shove off, Malfoy. We are under orders. We'll see you later." If Anne thought that would deter him, she was mad.

"Now whose orders would those be?" Scorp stood and stretched. Al stared straight ahead into the fire. This was the longest we had been this close to each other in a long time; I had even managed to move to the other side of every classroom in lessons. I was starting to forget what he smelled like, and the way his skin felt under my fingertips.

"The Head Girl's. She is in need of a Girl's Night. So we are heading over to her rooms to oblige."

I was sure I would soon forget how easily I could muss up his hair, no matter how smooth it was in my hands. And how he had a smile that he only used when he looked at me.

"Are you sure, Anne? Those clothes that you're wearing don't look particularly lounge-like. You look like you're headed for a Girl's Night _Out_ and not a Girl's Night _In._" The patented Malfoy smirk slid on his face.

"Oh please. How could we ever get out of the castle, especially on a school night?" She winked and grabbed my arm. "Tata boys, we'll see you at the ball."

As we walked out of the room I heard Al say to Scorp, "What ball?"

* * *

We made it to Alice's room in record time. Anne was muttering to herself, "I built-in extra time to get her up and out the door, but I didn't plan for that prat to stop us. Stupid, stupid."

We got in to the common room and made our way up Alice's stairs, where we heard muffled, angry words behind her door. Anne knocked, and the door flew open.

"I am not going anywhere tonight! It is a school night and I have 1 point 5 million things I have to do before Saturday." Alice was sitting half-dressed, in a pair of thick black tights and a bright purple bra with her hair a mess on top of her head, in front of her desk. There were pieces of parchment and loose paper spilling from her desk, and tacked on the wall behind it. Her room looked like a war zone. Rose and Lotte were lying across her bed, both dressed to go out.

Anne rolled her eyes, flicked her wand and Alice was in the air by her ankle.

"Put me down this second or I swear to Merlin I will bench you in the opening match." I will say, it was hard to take her seriously in her current state.

"No you won't. And yes, you are, in fact, coming out with us. That hideous thing you call a dress will not do for the Head Girl at her own Ball."

"I do not have time to go dress shopping, Roxanne. I need to send a dozen owls, get the food order into the House Elves and-"

"Blah, blah, blah. Less talking, more prepping." Anne gently let Alice down and shoved her into the bathroom. "You just tell me which letter is going where and I'll send them."

"Fine, I'll come out, but if my dad catches us I am throwing you all under the bus so fast, you won't see it coming."

It took fifteen minutes, seven complaints of nothing to wear, and four suggested outfits, but we were out of the door on time, according to Anne. "Actually we're a few minutes early, which is perfect. Uncle Neville won't be here for another few minutes and all we have to do is get to the passage."

Alice was the last one slipping through, as we heard someone call out her name. "Ali? What are you- are you sneaking out?" James pokes his head around her. "Hello ladies. Where would you all be headed on this lovely night?"

"How does 'none of your concern' sound?" Rose smarted back.

"Tsk, tsk Rosie dear. Does your boyfriend know about your sassy mouth?"

Rose blushed and glared. "I never said he was my boyfriend."

"Alright, fine. I'll leave you girls to your night of fun. Just don't make too much noise when you sneak back in. I would give you the map but it's…" He glared at me as I held it up. "Well then, that's how you want to play it. Fine, that's how we'll play it." He stomped off down the corridor.

I grinned. "Poor sport. Just last week he hid in the stacks until I walked away from my table in the library. When I got back the map was gone, and he had left a note saying 'The game, Miss Madison, is on.'"

* * *

We made it to Hogsmead, and apparated from there to London. Technically we weren't supposed to cross-country travel, but in the scheme of things, it's all Britain. We walked down a busy street, and turned into a department store. Anne and Lotte started shoving dresses at us, and we were in and out of the store, dress-less in fifteen minutes.

Let me just say, shopping with Lotte and Anne is an experience. They instantly know what will and will not work, and can almost read each other's minds. They just have to say, "No" and you take off whatever you're wearing. It's quite nice actually.

"Oh we have to stop and get Lily's dress. She has an exam tomorrow, so she asked me to pick it up." Rose told us where Lily had bought her dress and we headed towards the tiny boutique.

We passed in front of this shop and I could see a dress shimmering in the store.

"Anne, come here a moment." She walked back to me. "Wouldn't that be just perfect on you?"

She grinned and said, "Well done Elle." We all slipped in the door and the saleswoman smiled at us. Anne tried on the shimmering gold dress, and it looked stunning; a perfect fit. Anne handed the woman her muggle card and we were out the door.

As we walked in the boutique the salesman behind the counter looked at us and said, "We're closing in ten minutes."

Rose smiled coolly and said "We're actually here for a pickup. The name should be under Potter, Lily." He grimaced at her and walked to the back to get the gown. "Muggles." She muttered under her breath. The man walked out from the back with a garment bag in hand.

"Dress for Lily Potter, J. Mendel design, navy blue organza with sequin detailing, fitted and approved a week ago. Sound correct?"

Rose smiled, "Sounds perfect. I assume it's been paid for?"

"In full." He handed the dress across to Rose.

As we headed towards the door, Anne stopped and walked across the floor. She pulled a daring black tulle and underlying nude silk gown from the rail where it was hanging.

"Rose, sweet, you must try this on."

"But I already have a dress."

"Send it back, or save it for later. This is the one." Anne walked up to the counter and said, "I understand you're closing, but we have a ball in two days, no gowns, and we are very rich. Would you mind terribly if we looked around for a few minutes?" The man rolled his eyes, but shook his head. "Thank you so much."

"Anne you can't just say things like that!" Lotte looked scandalized.

"Well why not? It's all true. We do have a ball, we don't have any gowns, and we are very rich. Or our families are. In the muggle world, when your name can't talk, your money can. Everyone scatter and find a dress."

"Anne I cannot wear this gown, my mother would be scandalized!" Rose held the dress up. It was a little risqué, but nothing like what I usually wore.

"Aunt Hermione would actually approve, I think your dad might have an aneurysm."

It took all of thirty seconds for Rose to buy the dress after she got it on. It really was perfect; Anne has a magnificent eye. Lotte's dress was found next. It was hanging towards the back of the little store, almost hidden away. It was a full-skirted, black organza gown with gold organza pattern. The credit goes to Alice for the find.

My dress was next. Hanging on the mannequin in the shop window, there was a gorgeous fitted dark teal gown. It was all tulle, with peak-a-boo skin panels and a large slit up the middle. It was sexy and daring and everything I usually looked for, but it was just shy of perfect.

Anne came to stand next to me as I stared at it. "Oh yes, absolutely yes."

"But it's the wrong color. Teal is not a Halloween color."

"Oh for the love of Merlin, magic." She glanced over her shoulder to see if the salesman was watching us, and when she saw he wasn't she waved her wand and the dress was in my hands. "Go try it on. We'll fix the color later."

I slipped into the dressing room, and slid into the silk gown. It was a little big, and a little long, but nothing that a little magic couldn't fix. I pulled my wand out of my jacket arm and pulled it in at the waist, and shortened the hem. I stepped out of the dressing room, and stood in front of the mirror. Anne waved her wand and the color darkened to an inky purple-y black. She was, as usual, right. It was the perfect dress for this Ball.

Alice's dress took the absolute longest to find. That one was too hot, this one was too fitted. One was vetoed because the fabric was from the wrong region in China. I think we were all starting to give up when the salesman perked up. He had become increasingly more helpful as we spent more and more money. I'm sure our totals for the night were well into the tens of thousands. What can I say, Anne was right. We _are _rich.

The salesman looked at Alice and said, "You know, we did have something come in this morning. It's not actually for sale yet, but I think it might be perfect. It is for a Halloween Ball you said? Mhmm, yes I think it could work." He walked into the back room, and came out with a stunning white satin gown, with black embroidered lace. It was shocking, stunning, and simple. Perfectly Alice.

Without even letting her try it on, Anne said, "We'll take it."

* * *

We got back to castle before one in the morning. After buying all our gowns we managed to get to a costume shop that sold exclusive handmade masks before they closed. After buying a few new ones, including one for Lily, we headed to a new restaurant for a late night reservation. We talked and laughed and drank and walked around the London nightlife for a while. It was becoming a theme for the evening: Anne was right. A girl's night was exactly what was needed.

As we snuck back in, we regarded the map to see if there was anyone we would bump into on our way to Ali's room. We managed to make it to her common room and up the stairs before we had any trouble. We hung our dresses in Alice's ever expanding wardrobe and decided that maybe we wouldn't go to morning classes after all. Alice opened the door the bathroom and we saw Alex walking from the sink, back to James' door. She was wearing one of James' old Hollyhead Harpies shirts and her tan legs stretched out from beneath the hem.

Alice quietly shut the door to the bathroom, and sank to the floor. Anne sat down right by her, and wrapped her arms tightly around her shoulders. I sat at her feet, Rose and Lotte curled around the rest of us. Being in love really did a number on one's heart, especially when you love such a ponce.

Alice was softly crying. "I was starting to think that I could just throw myself into my work and I'd start to get over him. It's just every time I see him, I'm right back to where I was. And then every time I see her, I want to break something. And when I see something like that, like her in his shirt, so obviously sleeping in his bed, it just makes me feel the lowest of lows. I just don't know how I'm going to go through the rest of the year like this, or, oh God, the rest of my life. I just, I can't do this anymore."

"Yes, you can Alice." Rose's voice was strong. "You've been through ten times worse things than this. You have lived through mental times, and mean boyfriends. You have almost literally come back from the dead. You can survive my ponce of a cousin being an idiot and dating a stupid twit like her. You are a Longbottom for crying out loud. You can do this."

Alice started sobbing quite hard into Anne's shoulder and Rose wrapped herself around her other side. If there was one person who could always give an amazing speech in a time of crisis, you could find her in this room.

Rose Weasley

* * *

I have no excuses, just many apologies. The only thing I could say is life gets in the way sometimes, and I am sorry. I will resume writing this story as time permits, but as a college student pursuing a double major and a degree certificate, I have a lot on my plate. I send so much love to those who reviewed and wanted to know the way the rest of this story would play out. You are the reason I decided to continue this story. Thank you and I love you all.

Alicia


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